< Proverbs 11 >

1 Balances of deceit [are] an abomination to YHWH, And a perfect weight [is] His delight.
A deceitful balance is an abomination before the Lord: and a just weight is his will.
2 Pride has come, and shame comes, And wisdom [is] with the lowly.
Where pride is, there also shall be reproach: but where humility is, there also is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright leads them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroys them.
The simplicity of the just shall guide them: and the deceitfulness of the wicked shall destroy them.
4 Wealth does not profit in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivers from death.
Riches shall not profit in the day of revenge: but justice shall deliver from death.
5 The righteousness of the perfect makes his way right, And by his wickedness the wicked fall.
The justice of the upright shall make his way prosperous: and the wicked man shall fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.
The justice of the righteous shall deliver them: and the unjust shall be caught in their own snares.
7 In the death of a wicked man, hope perishes, And the expectation of the iniquitous has been lost.
When the wicked man is dead, there shall be no hope any more: and the expectation of the solicitous shall perish.
8 The righteous is drawn out from distress, And the wicked goes in instead of him.
The just is delivered out of distress: and the wicked shall be given up for him.
9 A hypocrite corrupts his friend with the mouth, And the righteous are drawn out by knowledge.
The dissembler with his mouth deceiveth his friend: but the just shall be delivered by knowledge.
10 A city exults in the good of the righteous, And in the destruction of the wicked [is] singing.
When it goeth well with the just the city shall rejoice: and when the wicked perish 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 wicked it shall be overthrown.
12 Whoever is despising his neighbor lacks heart, And a man of understanding keeps silence.
He that despiseth his friend, is mean of heart: but the wise man will hold his peace.
13 A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.
He that walketh deceitfully, revealeth secrets: but he that is faithful, concealeth the thing committed to him by his 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 there is safety where there is much counsel.
15 An evil [one] suffers when he has been guarantor [for] a stranger, And whoever hates striking hands [in agreement] is confident.
He shall be afflicted with evil, that is surety for a stranger: but he that is aware of the snares, shall be secure.
16 A gracious woman retains honor, And terrible [men] retain riches.
A gracious woman shall find glory: and the strong shall have riches.
17 A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.
A merciful man doth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel casteth off even his own kindred.
18 The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoever is sowing righteousness—a true reward.
The wicked maketh an unsteady work: but to him that soweth justice, there is a faithful reward.
19 Correctly [is] righteousness for life, And whoever is pursuing evil—for his own death.
Clemency prepareth life: and the pursuing of evil things, death.
20 The perverse of heart are an abomination to YHWH, And the perfect of the way [are] His delight.
A perverse heart is abominable to the Lord: and his will is in them that walk sincerely.
21 Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous has escaped.
Hand in hand the evil man shall not be innocent: but the seed 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 golden ring in a swine’s snout, a woman fair and foolish.
23 The desire of the righteous [is] only good, The hope of the wicked [is] transgression.
The desire of the just is all good: the expectation of the wicked is indignation.
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 grow richer: others take away what is not their own, and are always in want.
25 A liberal soul is made fat, And whoever is watering, he also is watered.
The soul which blesseth, shall be made fat: and he that inebriateth, shall be inebriated also himself.
26 Whoever is withholding grain, the people execrate him, And a blessing [is] for the head of him who is selling.
He that hideth up corn, shall be cursed among the people: but a blessing upon the head of them that sell.
27 Whoever is earnestly seeking good Seeks a pleasing thing, And whoever is seeking evil—it meets him.
Well doth he rise early who seeketh good things; but he that seeketh after evil things shall be oppressed by them.
28 Whoever is confident in his wealth falls, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the just shall spring up as a green leaf.
29 Whoever is troubling his own house inherits wind, And the fool [is] a servant to the wise of heart.
He that troubleth his own house, shall inherit the winds: and the fool shall 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 man is a tree of life: and he that gaineth souls, is wise.
31 Behold, the righteous is repaid in the earth, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!
If the just man receive in the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner.

< Proverbs 11 >