Proverbs 11–12

11The Lord detests dishonest scales,^q

but accurate weights find favor with him.^r

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace,^s

but with humility comes wisdom.^t

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.^u

⁴Wealth^v is worthless in the day of wrath,^w

but righteousness delivers from death.^x

⁵The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,^y

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.^z

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.^a

⁷Hopes placed in mortals die with them;^b

all the promise of^a their power comes to nothing.^c

⁸The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

and it falls on the wicked instead.^d

⁹With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.^e

¹⁰When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;^f

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.^g

¹¹Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,^h

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.ⁱ

¹²Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,^j

but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.^k

¹³A gossip betrays a confidence,^l

but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.^m

¹⁴For lack of guidance a nation falls,ⁿ

but victory is won through many advisers.^o

¹⁵Whoever puts up security^p for a stranger will surely suffer,

but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.^q

¹⁶A kindhearted woman gains honor,^r

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷Those who are kind benefit themselves,

but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

¹⁸A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.^s

¹⁹Truly the righteous attain life,^t

but whoever pursues evil finds death.^u

²⁰The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,^v

but he delights^w in those whose ways are blameless.^x

²¹Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.^y

²²Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵A generous^z person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.^a

²⁶People curse the one who hoards grain,

but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

²⁷Whoever seeks good finds favor,

but evil comes to one who searches for it.^b

²⁸Those who trust in their riches will fall,^c

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.^d

²⁹Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise.^e

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,^f

and the one who is wise saves lives.

³¹If the righteous receive their due^g on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

12Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but whoever hates correction is stupid.^h

²Good people obtain favor from the Lord,ⁱ

but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.^j

³No one can be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.^k

⁴A wife of noble character^l is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.^m

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.ⁿ

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^o

but the house of the righteous stands firm.^p

⁸A person is praised according to their prudence,

and one with a warped^q mind is despised.

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰The righteous care for the needs of their animals,^r

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies have no sense.^s

¹²The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,

but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,^t

and so the innocent escape trouble.^u

¹⁴From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,^v

and the work of their hands brings them reward.^w

¹⁵The way of fools seems right to them,^x

but the wise listen to advice.^y

¹⁶Fools^z show their annoyance at once,^a

but the prudent overlook an insult.^b

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth,

but a false witness tells lies.^c

¹⁸The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^d

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^e

¹⁹Truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but those who promote peace have joy.^f

²¹No harm overtakes the righteous,^g

but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips,^h

but he delightsⁱ in people who are trustworthy.^j

²³The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,^k

but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.^l

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,

but laziness ends in forced labor.^m

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart,ⁿ

but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶The righteous choose their friends carefully,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^o

²⁷The lazy do not roast^a any game,

but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life;^p

along that path is immortality.