Proverbs 11
1 Balances of deceit [are] an abomination to YHWH, And a perfect weight [is] His delight.
The Lord hates dishonest scales, but accurate weights please him.
2 Pride has come, and shame comes, And wisdom [is] with the lowly.
With pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright leads them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroys them.
Honesty guides the good, but deceit destroys liars.
4 Wealth does not profit in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivers from death.
Wealth won't help you on judgment day, but goodness saves you from death.
5 The righteousness of the perfect makes his way right, And by his wickedness the wicked fall.
The goodness of the innocent keeps them on track, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.
The goodness of those who live right will save them, but the dishonest are trapped by their own desires.
7 In the death of a wicked man, hope perishes, And the expectation of the iniquitous has been lost.
When a wicked person dies, their hopes die with them; what the godless look forward to is gone.
8 The righteous is drawn out from distress, And the wicked goes in instead of him.
The good are saved from trouble, while the wicked get into trouble.
9 A hypocrite corrupts his friend with the mouth, And the righteous are drawn out by knowledge.
Godless people mouth off and destroy their neighbors, but the good are saved by wisdom.
10 A city exults in the good of the righteous, And in the destruction of the wicked [is] singing.
The whole town celebrates when good people are successful; they also shout for joy when the wicked die.
11 By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.
Ethical people are a blessing to a town, but what the wicked say destroys it.
12 Whoever is despising his neighbor lacks heart, And a man of understanding keeps silence.
People who run down their neighbors have no sense; someone who's sensible keeps quiet.
13 A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.
A gossip goes around telling secrets, but trustworthy people keep confidences.
14 Without counsels a people falls, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
A nation falls without good guidance, but they are saved through much wise counsel.
15 An evil [one] suffers when he has been guarantor [for] a stranger, And whoever hates striking hands [in agreement] is confident.
You'll get into trouble if you guarantee a stranger's loans—you're far safer if you refuse to make such pledges.
16 A gracious woman retains honor, And terrible [men] retain riches.
A gracious woman holds on to her honor just as ruthless men hold on to their wealth.
17 A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.
If you're kind, you'll be rewarded; but if you're cruel, you'll hurt yourself.
18 The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoever is sowing righteousness—a true reward.
The wicked earn wages that cheat them, but those who sow goodness reap a genuine reward.
19 Correctly [is] righteousness for life, And whoever is pursuing evil—for his own death.
Do what's right, and you will live; chase after evil and you will die.
20 The perverse of heart are an abomination to YHWH, And the perfect of the way [are] His delight.
The Lord hates perverted minds, but is happy with those who live moral lives.
21 Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous has escaped.
You can be certain of this: the wicked won't go unpunished, but the good will be saved.
22 A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A beautiful woman and stubborn of behavior.
A beautiful woman who lacks good judgment is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.
23 The desire of the righteous [is] only good, The hope of the wicked [is] transgression.
Good people want what's best, but what the wicked hope for ends in death.
24 There is [one] who is scattering, and yet is increased, And [one] who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.
If you give generously you receive more, but if you keep back what you should give, you end up poor.
25 A liberal soul is made fat, And whoever is watering, he also is watered.
If you're generous, you'll become rich; give someone a drink of water, and you'll be given one in return.
26 Whoever is withholding grain, the people execrate him, And a blessing [is] for the head of him who is selling.
People curse those who hoard grain; but they bless those who sell.
27 Whoever is earnestly seeking good Seeks a pleasing thing, And whoever is seeking evil—it meets him.
If you look to do good, you'll be appreciated; but if you look for evil, you'll find it!
28 Whoever is confident in his wealth falls, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.
If you trust in your riches, you'll fall; but if you do good, you'll flourish like green leaves.
29 Whoever is troubling his own house inherits wind, And the fool [is] a servant to the wise of heart.
If you cause trouble in your family, you'll inherit nothing but air. Stupid people end up as servants to those who think wisely.
30 The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life, And whoever is taking souls [is] wise.
The fruit of the good is a tree of life, and the wise person saves people.
31 Behold, the righteous is repaid in the earth, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!
If the good are repaid here on earth, how much more will the wicked who sin be repaid!
