Proverbs 11
1 Balances of deceit [are] an abomination to YHWH, And a perfect weight [is] His delight.
A deceitful scale is an abomination with the Lord, and a fair weighing is his will.
2 Pride has come, and shame comes, And wisdom [is] with the lowly.
Wherever arrogance may be, there too is insult. But wherever humility is, there too is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright leads them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroys them.
The simplicity of the just shall direct them, and the rebellion of the perverse will devastate them.
4 Wealth does not profit in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivers from death.
Wealth will not profit in the day of vengeance. But justice shall liberate from death.
5 The righteousness of the perfect makes his way right, And by his wickedness the wicked fall.
The justice of the simple shall direct his way. And the impious will fall in his impiety.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.
The justice of the upright shall free them. And the iniquitous will be seized by their own treachery.
7 In the death of a wicked man, hope perishes, And the expectation of the iniquitous has been lost.
When the impious man is dead, there will no longer be any hope. And the expectation of the anxious will perish.
8 The righteous is drawn out from distress, And the wicked goes in instead of him.
The just one is freed from anguish. And the impious one will be handed over instead of him.
9 A hypocrite corrupts his friend with the mouth, And the righteous are drawn out by knowledge.
The pretender deceives his friend by mouth. But the just shall be freed by knowledge.
10 A city exults in the good of the righteous, And in the destruction of the wicked [is] singing.
In the good of the just, the city shall exult. And in the perdition of the impious, there shall be praise.
11 By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.
By the blessing of the just, the city shall be exalted. And by the mouth of the impious, it will be subverted.
12 Whoever is despising his neighbor lacks heart, And a man of understanding keeps silence.
Whoever despises his friend is destitute in heart. But the prudent man will remain silent.
13 A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.
Whoever walks dishonestly reveals secrets. But whoever is of a faithful soul conceals what is confided by a friend.
14 Without counsels a people falls, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
Where there is no governor, the people shall fall. But where there is much counsel, well-being shall be.
15 An evil [one] suffers when he has been guarantor [for] a stranger, And whoever hates striking hands [in agreement] is confident.
He will be afflicted with evil, who provides a guarantee for an outsider. But whoever is wary of traps shall be secure.
16 A gracious woman retains honor, And terrible [men] retain riches.
A gracious woman shall discover glory. And the robust will have wealth.
17 A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.
A merciful man benefits his own soul. But whoever is cruel casts out even his close relatives.
18 The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoever is sowing righteousness—a true reward.
The impious does work with inconstancy. But for the sower of justice, there is the reward of faithfulness.
19 Correctly [is] righteousness for life, And whoever is pursuing evil—for his own death.
Clemency prepares life. And the pursuit of evils prepares death.
20 The perverse of heart are an abomination to YHWH, And the perfect of the way [are] His delight.
A depraved heart is abominable to the Lord. And his will is with those who walk in simplicity.
21 Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous has escaped.
Hand in hand, the evil shall not be innocent. But the offspring of the just shall be saved.
22 A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A beautiful woman and stubborn of behavior.
A beautiful and senseless woman is like a gold ring in the snout of a swine.
23 The desire of the righteous [is] only good, The hope of the wicked [is] transgression.
The desire of the just is entirely good. The anticipation of the impious is fury.
24 There is [one] who is scattering, and yet is increased, And [one] who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.
Some distribute their own goods, and they become wealthier. Others seize what is not their own, and they are always in need.
25 A liberal soul is made fat, And whoever is watering, he also is watered.
The soul that blesses shall be made fat. And whoever inebriates will likewise be inebriated himself.
26 Whoever is withholding grain, the people execrate him, And a blessing [is] for the head of him who is selling.
Whoever hides away grain shall be cursed among the people. But a blessing is upon the head of those who sell it.
27 Whoever is earnestly seeking good Seeks a pleasing thing, And whoever is seeking evil—it meets him.
He does well to rise early, who seeks what is good. But whoever is a seeker of evils shall be oppressed by them.
28 Whoever is confident in his wealth falls, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall. But the just shall spring up like a green leaf.
29 Whoever is troubling his own house inherits wind, And the fool [is] a servant to the wise of heart.
Whoever troubles his own house will possess the winds. And whoever is foolish will serve the wise.
30 The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life, And whoever is taking souls [is] wise.
The fruit of the just one is the tree of life. And whoever receives souls is wise.
31 Behold, the righteous is repaid in the earth, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!
If the just are repaid upon the earth, how much more the impious and the sinner!
