Proverbs 11

¹Balances of deceit are an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight is His delight.

²Pride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly is wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

⁴Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵The righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall. ⁶The righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

⁷In the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

⁸The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

⁹With the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

¹⁰In the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked is singing. ¹¹By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

¹²Whoso is despising his neighbour lacketh heart, And a man of understanding keepeth silence. ¹³A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

¹⁴Without counsels do a people fall, And deliverance is in a multitude of counsellors.

¹⁵Evil one suffereth when he hath been surety for a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

¹⁶A gracious woman retaineth honour, And terrible men retain riches.

¹⁷A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.

¹⁸The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness—a true reward.

¹⁹Rightly is righteousness for life, And whoso is pursuing evil—for his own death.

²⁰An abomination to Jehovah are the perverse of heart, And the perfect of the way are His delight.

²¹Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

²²A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A fair woman and stubborn of behaviour.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good, The hope of the wicked is transgression.

²⁴There is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.

²⁵A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.

²⁶Whoso is withholding corn, the people execrate him, And a blessing is for the head of him who is selling.

²⁷Whoso is earnestly seeking good Seeketh a pleasing thing, And whoso is seeking evil—it meeteth him.

²⁸Whoso is confident in his wealth he falleth, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

²⁹Whoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant is the fool to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls is wise.

³¹Lo, the righteous in the earth is recompensed, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!

Chapter 12