Proverbs 11

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

A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but accurate weights are his delight.

2 Pride has come, and shame comes, And wisdom [is] with the lowly.

When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright leads them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroys them.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

4 Wealth does not profit in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivers from death.

Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the perfect makes his way right, And by his wickedness the wicked fall.

The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.

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

When a wicked man dies, hope perishes, and expectation of power comes to nothing.

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

A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place.

9 A hypocrite corrupts his friend with the mouth, And the righteous are drawn out by knowledge.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.

10 A city exults in the good of the righteous, And in the destruction of the wicked [is] singing.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.

11 By the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 Whoever is despising his neighbor lacks heart, And a man of understanding keeps silence.

One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

13 A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.

14 Without counsels a people falls, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.

Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

15 An evil [one] suffers when he has been guarantor [for] a stranger, And whoever hates striking hands [in agreement] is confident.

He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

16 A gracious woman retains honor, And terrible [men] retain riches.

A gracious woman obtains honor, but violent men obtain riches.

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

The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

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

Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19 Correctly [is] righteousness for life, And whoever is pursuing evil—for his own death.

He who is truly righteous gets life. He who pursues evil gets death.

20 The perverse of heart are an abomination to YHWH, And the perfect of the way [are] His delight.

Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to Yahweh, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.

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

Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.

22 A ring of gold in the nose of a sow—A beautiful woman and stubborn of behavior.

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

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

The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.

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

There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

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

The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

26 Whoever is withholding grain, the people execrate him, And a blessing [is] for the head of him who is selling.

People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 Whoever is earnestly seeking good Seeks a pleasing thing, And whoever is seeking evil—it meets him.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.

28 Whoever is confident in his wealth falls, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

29 Whoever is troubling his own house inherits wind, And the fool [is] a servant to the wise of heart.

He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

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

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.

31 Behold, the righteous is repaid in the earth, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!

Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!