Proverbs 11-14
Lexham English Bible
11 Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh,
but an accurate weight[a] delights him.
2 Pride comes, then disgrace comes,
but wisdom is with the humble.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
4 Wealth does not profit on the day of wrath,
but righteousness will deliver from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will keep his ways straight,
but the wicked will fall by his wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will save them,
but by a scheme the treacherous will be taken captive.
7 With the death of a wicked person, hope will die,
and the expectation of the godless perishes.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
but the wicked enters into it.
9 With a mouth, the godless shall destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 When good is with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and with the perishing of the wicked, jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright, a city will be exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked, it will be overthrown.
12 He who lacks sense[b] belittles his neighbor,
but a person of intelligence will remain silent.
13 A gossip walks about telling a secret,
but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.
14 Where there is no guidance, a nation[c] shall fall,
but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.
15 He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger,
but he who refuses a pledge is safe.
16 A woman of grace receives honor,
but the ruthless gets wealth.
17 A person of kindness rewards himself,[d]
but a cruel person harms his own flesh.
18 The wicked earns[e] deceptive gain,[f]
but he who sows righteousness, a true reward.[g]
19 He who is steadfast in righteousness is to life
as[h] he who pursues evil is to death.
20 An abomination of Yahweh are the crooked of heart,[i]
but his delight are those with blameless ways.[j]
21 Rest assured,[k] the wicked will not go unpunished,
but the offspring[l] of the righteous will escape.
22 A ring of gold in the snout of a pig
is a woman who is beautiful but without discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
but the expectation of the wicked, wrath.
24 There is one who gives yet grows richer,[m]
but he who withholds what is right[n] only finds need.
25 A person of blessing will be enriched,
and he who gives water also will be refreshed.
26 He who withholds grain, the people curse him,
but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but he who inquires of evil, it will come to him.
28 He who trusts in his wealth is he who will fall,
but like a green leaf the righteous will flourish.
29 He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,[o]
and a fool will serve the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life,
and he who captures souls[p] is wise.
31 If the righteous on earth will be repaid,
how much more[q] the wicked and sinner.
12 He who loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates rebuke is stupid.
2 The good obtains favor from Yahweh,
but anyone who schemes, he condemns.
3 A person will not be established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous will not be moved.
4 A woman of strength[r] is the crown of her master,[s]
but like rot in his bones is she who brings shame.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are[t] just;
the advice of the wicked is treacherous.
6 The words of the wicked are an ambush of blood,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,[u]
but the house of the righteous shall stand.
8 For his mouth of good sense, a man will be recommended,
but he who is of perverse mind[v] will be despised.
9 It is better to be lowly and a servant to someone[w]
than self-glorifying and lacking food.
10 The righteous knows the life[x] of his animal,
but the compassion[y] of the wicked is cruel.
11 He who works his land will have plenty of food,
but he who follows worthless things lacks sense.[z]
12 The wicked covets the proceeds of evil,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.[aa]
13 By the transgression of lips, evil is ensnared,
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he is filled with good,
and the reward of a man’s labor[ab] will return to him.
15 The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes,
but he who listens to advice is wise.
16 As for a fool, on that very day[ac] he makes his anger known,
but he who ignores an insult is prudent.
17 He who will speak truth will reveal righteousness,
but the witness of falsehood, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks rashly, like the thrust of a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 A lip of truth endures forever,
but a tongue of deception lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart[ad] of those who plan[ae] evil,
but to those who plan[af] peace, there is joy.
21 No evil will happen[ag] to the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 An abomination of Yahweh are lips of deceit,
but they who act faithfully are his delight.
23 A clever person conceals knowledge,
but the heart[ah] of a fool[ai] announces folly.
24 The hand of the diligent ones will rule,
but the lazy will belong to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in the heart[aj] of a man will weigh him down,
but a good word will cheer him.
26 A righteous person will seek out his neighbor,
but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.
27 The lazy will not roast his game,
but diligence is the precious wealth of a man.
28 On the road of righteousness is life,
and on the way of the path, may there be no death.
13 A wise child hears the discipline of a father,
but a scoffer does not listen to a rebuke.
2 From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he shall eat what is good,
but the desire[ak] of the treacherous, wrongdoing.
3 He who keeps his mouth guards his life;[al]
he who opens his lips, ruin belongs to him.
4 The soul[am] of the lazy craves, but there is nothing,
but the person of diligence is richly supplied.
5 The righteous hates a word of falsehood;
the wicked will bring shame and disgrace.[an]
6 Righteousness will guard the upright of way,
but wickedness will overthrow sin.
7 There is one who acts rich but has nothing;[ao]
another who pretends to be poor but has wealth.
8 The ransom of the life of a man is his wealth,
but the poor does not receive a threat.
9 The light of the righteous will rejoice,
but the lamp of the wicked will die out.
10 Only by insolence is strife set up,
and wisdom is with those who take advice.
11 Wealth gained from haste[ap] will dwindle,
but he who gathers little by little[aq] will increase it.
12 Hope that is deferred makes the heart[ar] sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 He who despises a word will bring destruction on himself,
but he who respects a commandment will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,
in order to avoid the snares of death.
15 Good sense grants favor,
but the way of the faithless is coarse.
16 Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,
but the fool will display folly.
17 A messenger of wickedness will fall into trouble,
but an envoy of the faithful brings healing.
18 Poverty and disgrace belong to him who ignores instruction,
but he who guards reproof will be honored.
19 A desire fulfilled[as] will be sweet to the soul,
but an abomination of fools is turning from evil.
20 Walk with the wise and be wise,
but as for the companion of fools, he will suffer harm.
21 Misfortune will pursue sinners,
but the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.[at]
22 He who is good will leave an inheritance to his grandchildren,[au]
and stored up for the righteous is the wealth of a sinner.
23 There is much food in the field of the poor,
but it is swept away[av] by injustice.[aw]
24 He who withholds his rod hates his child,
but he who loves him gives him[ax] discipline.
25 The righteous eats to satisfy his life,[ay]
but the belly of the wicked will lack.
14 The wisest of women[az] builds her house,
but the foolish tears it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in uprightness fears Yahweh,
but he who is devious in his ways displeases him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride,
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 When there are no[ba] oxen the manger is empty,
but an abundance of crops comes by the strength of an ox.[bb]
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but he who breathes out falsehood is a witness of deceit.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, but there is none,
but knowledge comes easily to him who understands.[bc]
7 Leave the presence of a foolish man,[bd]
for you will not come to know words of knowledge.[be]
8 The wisdom of the clever is understanding his ways,
but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock[bf] the guilt offering,
but among the upright, it is favorable.
10 The heart[bg] knows the bitterness of its soul,[bh]
but in its joy, it will not share itself with a stranger.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems upright to[bi] a man,
but its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter, a heart may be sad,
and the end of joy may be grief.
14 From his ways, the perverse of heart will be satisfied,
and from his own,[bj] so shall a good man.
15 The simple will believe every word,
but the clever will consider his step.
16 The wise is cautious and turns from evil,
but the fool throws off restraint and is confident.
17 He who is short of temper[bk] will act foolishly,
and the man who schemes will be hated.
18 The simple are adorned with folly,
but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the lovers of the rich are many.
21 He who despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but he who has mercy on the poor blesses him.
22 Have they not erred, those who plan evil?
But loyalty and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all toil, there is profit,
but the talk[bl] of lips leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth;
the folly of fools is folly.
25 He who saves lives[bm] is a witness of truth,
but he who utters lies is a betrayer.
26 In the fear of Yahweh, there is confidence of strength,
and for his children, there will be refuge.
27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
in order to turn from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the glory of the king,
but without a population, a prince is ruined.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but the hasty of spirit[bn] exalts folly.
30 A heart[bo] of tranquility[bp] is life to the flesh,
but causes bones of passion to rot.
31 He who oppresses the poor insults him who made him,
but he who has mercy on the poor honors him.
32 By his evildoing, the wicked will be overthrown,
and the righteous will find refuge in his death.
33 In the heart[bq] of him who has understanding, wisdom rests,
but even in the midst of fools it becomes known.
34 Righteousness will exalt a nation,
but sin is a reproach to a people.
35 The favor of a king is for the servant who deals wisely,
but his wrath will be on him who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:1 Literally “a full stone” or “a pure stone”
- Proverbs 11:12 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 11:14 Or “people”
- Proverbs 11:17 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 11:18 Or “does, makes”
- Proverbs 11:18 Literally “gain of deception”
- Proverbs 11:18 Literally “a reward of truth”
- Proverbs 11:19 Hebrew “and”
- Proverbs 11:20 Literally “crooked ones of heart”; “heart” may also be translated “mind”
- Proverbs 11:20 Literally “blameless ones of ways”
- Proverbs 11:21 Literally “Hand to hand”
- Proverbs 11:21 Or “seed”
- Proverbs 11:24 Literally “adding more”
- Proverbs 11:24 Literally “from what is right”
- Proverbs 11:29 Or “breath, spirit”
- Proverbs 11:30 Or “persons,” or “inner selves”
- Proverbs 11:31 Literally “more for”
- Proverbs 12:4 Or “honor”
- Proverbs 12:4 Or “lord, owner”
- Proverbs 12:5 Hebrew “is”
- Proverbs 12:7 Literally “there is no them”
- Proverbs 12:8 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 12:9 Literally “for him,” “belonging to him”
- Proverbs 12:10 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 12:10 Hebrew “compassions”
- Proverbs 12:11 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 12:12 Literally “gives, sets up”
- Proverbs 12:14 Literally “the hands of a man”
- Proverbs 12:16 Literally “on the day”
- Proverbs 12:20 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 12:20 Literally “the planners of”
- Proverbs 12:20 Literally “the planners of”
- Proverbs 12:21 Literally “All evil will not happen”
- Proverbs 12:23 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 12:23 Hebrew “fools”
- Proverbs 12:25 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 13:2 Or “soul”
- Proverbs 13:3 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 13:4 Or “life”
- Proverbs 13:5 Literally “he will bring disgrace”
- Proverbs 13:7 Literally “there is no”
- Proverbs 13:11 Or “vanity”
- Proverbs 13:11 Literally “upon the hand”
- Proverbs 13:12 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 13:19 Literally “made to be,” “brought about”
- Proverbs 13:21 Literally “it will reward prosperity”
- Proverbs 13:22 Literally “sons of sons”
- Proverbs 13:23 Literally “there is sweeping away”
- Proverbs 13:23 Literally “no justice”
- Proverbs 13:24 Literally “visits him”
- Proverbs 13:25 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 14:1 Literally “wise ones of women”
- Proverbs 14:4 Literally “In there is no”
- Proverbs 14:4 Hebrew “bull”
- Proverbs 14:6 Literally “to one who understands it comes easy”
- Proverbs 14:7 Literally “from the presence belonging to a man of foolishness”
- Proverbs 14:7 Literally “lips of knowledge”
- Proverbs 14:9 Hebrew “he mocks”
- Proverbs 14:10 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 14:10 Or “life,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 14:12 Literally “to the face of”
- Proverbs 14:14 Literally “from upon him”
- Proverbs 14:17 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 14:23 Literally “word, matter, thing”
- Proverbs 14:25 Or “souls,” or “inner selves”
- Proverbs 14:29 Or “breath”
- Proverbs 14:30 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 14:30 Or “he who heals”
- Proverbs 14:33 Or “mind”
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