av.lah denotes wrongdoing opposed to justice, including corrupt conduct and wrongful speech.

The noun most often denotes wrongdoing in conduct or public dealing: it is absent from God, must be put away, and can characterize oppressive building, sowing, or action. It also occurs in statements about speech, where lips or a tongue do not speak it and truthful instruction excludes it.

1. Wrongdoing in conduct and judgment · dominant

   The singular absolute form occurs in declarations that God has none of it in 2 Chronicles 19:7 and that it should be kept away from a person's hand or tent in Job 11:14. It names the basis on which a town is established in Habakkuk 2:12 and what is sown in Proverbs 22:8; Hosea 10:13 uses the construct form in the sequence of plowing, reaping, and eating.

   2 Chronicles 19:7Job 11:14Habakkuk 2:12Hosea 10:13Proverbs 22:8Psalm 119:3
2. Wrongful speech · common

   The singular absolute form is tied directly to speech: in Isaiah 59:3 the APB renders the clause "your tongue mutters injustice," and in Job 27:4 it renders "my lips will not speak injustice." Job 13:7 places it in the question about speaking for God, while Malachi 2:6 says none was found on his lips.

   Isaiah 59:3Job 13:7Job 27:4Malachi 2:6Zephaniah 3:13

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the noun as "injustice," while some contexts use "wrong," "wickedness," or "unjust." Because the translation renders whole verses rather than aligning individual words, these variations show the clauses' presentation rather than fixed one-for-one equivalents.