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Proverbs 11:18

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11:18The wicked person52 earns53 deceitful wages,54

but the one who sows55 righteousness reaps56 a genuine57 reward.58

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Footnotes

  1. 52 The form is the masculine singular adjective used as a substantive.
  2. 53 Heb “makes” (so ).
  3. 54 Heb “wages of deception.” Whatever recompense or reward the wicked receive will not last, hence, it is deceptive (R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [], 88).
  4. 55 The participle “sowing” provides an implied comparison (the figure is known as hypocatastasis) with the point of practicing righteousness and inspiring others to do the same. What is sown will yield fruit (1 Cor 9:11; 2 Cor 9:6; Jas 3:18).
  5. 56 The term “reaps” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation from context for the sake of smoothness.
  6. 57 Heb “true” (so , ); , , “sure.”
  7. 58 A wordplay (paronomasia) occurs between “deceptive” (שָׁקֶר, shaqer) and “reward” (שֶׂכֶר, sekher), underscoring the contrast by the repetition of sounds. The wages of the wicked are deceptive; the reward of the righteous is sure.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The wicked earns deceptive wages,

but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

The wicked person earns an empty wage,

but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.

NLTNew Living Translation

Evil people get rich for the moment,

but the reward of the godly will last.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

The wicked earns deceptive gain,

but he who sows righteousness, a true reward.

KJV 1900King James Version

The wicked worketh a deceitful work:

But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.