Integrity of Scales and Soul
11 Dishonest scales are an abomination to Adonai,
but an accurate weight is His delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.
4 Riches make no profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless man makes his way straight,
but the wicked man is brought down by his wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the treacherous are trapped by their desire.
Righteousness Builds Up a City
7 When the wicked dies, his hope perishes,
and the hope of the strong vanishes.
8 The righteous is rescued from trouble.
Instead it comes on the wicked.
9 With his mouth the ungodly destroys his neighbor,
but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 When the righteous do well, a city rejoices.
When the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.
12 One who despises his neighbor lacks sense,
but one with discernment remains silent.
13 A gossip reveals secrets,
but one who is trustworthy conceals a matter.
14 Without guidance people fall,
with many counselors there is deliverance.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will have trouble,
but whoever avoids shaking hands on such a deal is secure.
Rewards for Righteous or Ruthless
16 A gracious woman gains honor,
but ruthless men seize riches.
17 A kind man does his own soul good,
but a cruel man harms his own flesh.
18 The wicked earn deceptive wages,
but a sower of righteousness reaps a true reward.
19 Steadfast righteousness leads to life,
but pursuing evil ends in death.
20 Perverse hearts are an abomination to Adonai.
His favor is on those blameless in their ways.
21 Be sure,[a] the evil will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
22 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,
but the hope of the wicked only wrath.
24 One gives freely, yet gains even more.
Another withholds unjustly, and comes to poverty.
25 A soul who blesses will prosper,
and one who gives water will himself be satisfied.
26 People curse anyone withholding grain,
but blessing is on the head of one who dispenses it.
27 A person who diligently seeks good finds favor,
but to one who searches for evil, evil comes to him!
28 Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit wind,
and the fool will be a servant to the wise-hearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and whoever wins souls is wise.
31 If the righteous is rewarded on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner![b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:21 Lit. Hand to hand. Meaning of Hebrew uncertain.
- Proverbs 11:31 cf. 1 Pet. 4:18.