Proverbs 11–12

CHAPTER 11

¹A ^adeceptive balance is an abomination to Yahweh,

But a ^bjust weight is His delight.

²When ^aarrogance comes, then comes disgrace,

But with the meek is wisdom.

³The ^aintegrity of the upright will lead them,

But the ^bcrookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

^4aWealth will not profit in the day of wrath,

But ^brighteousness will deliver from death.

⁵The ^arighteousness of the blameless will make his way straight,

But ^bthe wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,

But the treacherous will ^abe captured by their own desire.

⁷When a wicked man dies, his ^ahope will perish,

And the ^bexpectation of vigorous men perishes.

⁸The righteous is rescued from ¹distress,

But the wicked ²takes his place.

⁹With his ^amouth the godless man corrupts his neighbor,

But through knowledge the ^brighteous will be rescued.

¹⁰When it ^agoes well with the righteous, the city exults,

And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

¹¹By the blessing of the upright a city is raised up,

But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

¹²He who despises his neighbor lacks a heart of wisdom,

But a man of discernment keeps silent.

¹³He ^awho goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,

But he who is faithful in spirit ^bconceals a matter.

¹⁴Where there is no ^aguidance the people fall,

But in abundance of counselors there is salvation.

¹⁵If one becomes a ^aguarantor for a stranger, he will surely suffer,

But he who hates ¹striking hands in pledge is secure.

¹⁶A ^agracious woman holds fast to glory,

But ruthless men hold fast to riches.

¹⁷The man of ^alovingkindness deals bountifully with his soul,

But the cruel man brings trouble on his flesh.

¹⁸The wicked earns deceptive wages,

But he who ^asows righteousness gets a true reward.

¹⁹He who is steadfast in ^arighteousness will attain to life,

And ^bhe who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

²⁰Those with a crooked heart are an abomination to Yahweh,

But those of a ^ablameless way are His ^bdelight.

²¹¹Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished,

But the seed of the righteous will escape.

²²As a ^aring of gold in a swine’s snout

So is a beautiful woman who turns away from ¹discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good,

But the ^ahope of the wicked is wrath.

²⁴There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,

And there is one who holds back what is rightly due, and yet results only in want.

²⁵The soul ¹that ^ablesses will be ²enriched,

And he who ^bwaters will himself be watered.

²⁶He who withholds grain, the ^apeople will curse him,

But ^bblessing will be on the head of him who ^csells it.

²⁷He who earnestly seeks good seeks favor,

But ^ahe who searches for evil, evil will come to him.

²⁸He who ^atrusts in his riches will fall,

But ^bthe righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

²⁹He who ^atroubles his own house will ^binherit wind,

And ^cthe ignorant fool will be a slave to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is ^aa tree of life,

And ^bhe who is wise ¹wins souls.

³¹If ^athe righteous will be repaid in the earth,

How much more the wicked and the sinner!

CHAPTER 12

¹Whoever loves ¹discipline loves knowledge,

But he who hates reproof is senseless.

²A ^agood man will obtain favor from Yahweh,

But a man of evil schemes He will condemn.

³A man will ^anot be established by wickedness,

But the root of the ^brighteous will not be shaken.

⁴¹An ^aexcellent wife is the crown of her husband,

But she who causes shame is like ^brottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are just,

But the guidance of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The ^awords of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

But the ^bmouth of the upright will deliver them.

⁷The ^awicked are overthrown and are no more,

But the ^bhouse of the righteous will stand.

⁸A man will be praised according to his insight,

But one of perverse heart will be despised.

⁹Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant

Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

¹⁰A ^arighteous man knows the value of the life of his animal,

But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

¹¹He ^awho cultivates his land will be satisfied with bread,

But he who pursues empty things lacks a heart of wisdom.

¹²The ^awicked man desires a stronghold of evil men,

But the root of the righteous ^bgives fruit.

¹³The snare of an evil man is in the transgression of his lips,

But the ^arighteous man will come out from distress.

¹⁴A man will be ^asatisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,

And the good ^bdeed of a man’s hands will return to him.

¹⁵The ^away of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes,

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

¹⁶An ^aignorant fool’s ¹anger is known at once,

But a prudent man conceals disgrace.

¹⁷He who breathes out truth declares what is right,

But a false witness, deceit.

¹⁸There is one who ^aspeaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,

But the ^btongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips will be established forever,

But a ^alying tongue is only for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

But counselors of peace have gladness.

^21aNo misfortune befalls the righteous,

But the wicked are filled with calamity.

^22aLying lips are an abomination to Yahweh,

But doers of faithfulness are His delight.

²³A ^aprudent man conceals knowledge,

But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

²⁴The hand of the diligent will rule,

But ¹the slack hand will be ^aput to forced labor.

^25aAnxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,

But a ^bgood word makes it glad.

²⁶The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,

But the way of the wicked makes them wander about.

²⁷A slack handed man does not ¹roast his prey,

But the wealth of a man is ^aprecious for the diligent.

^28aIn the path of righteousness is life,

And in its pathway there is no death.