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11 Balances of deceit are an abomination of Yahweh,
    but an accurate weight[a] delights him.
Pride comes, then disgrace comes,
    but wisdom is with the humble.
The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Wealth does not profit on the day of wrath,
    but righteousness will deliver from death.
The righteousness of the blameless will keep his ways straight,
    but the wicked will fall by his wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright will save them,
    but by a scheme the treacherous will be taken captive.
With the death of a wicked person, hope will die,
    and the expectation of the godless perishes.
The righteous is delivered from trouble,
    but the wicked enters into it.
With a mouth, the godless shall destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 When good is with the righteous, the city rejoices,
    and with the perishing of the wicked, jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright, a city will be exalted,
    but by the mouth of the wicked, it will be overthrown.
12 He who lacks sense[b] belittles his neighbor,
    but a person of intelligence will remain silent.
13 A gossip walks about telling a secret,
    but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.
14 Where there is no guidance, a nation[c] shall fall,
    but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.
15 He will suffer trouble when he loans to a stranger,
    but he who refuses a pledge is safe.
16 A woman of grace receives honor,
    but the ruthless gets wealth.
17 A person of kindness rewards himself,[d]
    but a cruel person harms his own flesh.
18 The wicked earns[e] deceptive gain,[f]
    but he who sows righteousness, a true reward.[g]
19 He who is steadfast in righteousness is to life
    as[h] he who pursues evil is to death.
20 An abomination of Yahweh are the crooked of heart,[i]
    but his delight are those with blameless ways.[j]
21 Rest assured,[k] the wicked will not go unpunished,
    but the offspring[l] of the righteous will escape.
22 A ring of gold in the snout of a pig
    is a woman who is beautiful but without discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
    but the expectation of the wicked, wrath.
24 There is one who gives yet grows richer,[m]
    but he who withholds what is right[n] only finds need.
25 A person of blessing will be enriched,
    and he who gives water also will be refreshed.
26 He who withholds grain, the people curse him,
    but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
    but he who inquires of evil, it will come to him.
28 He who trusts in his wealth is he who will fall,
    but like a green leaf the righteous will flourish.
29 He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,[o]
    and a fool will serve the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of righteousness is a tree of life,
    and he who captures souls[p] is wise.
31 If the righteous on earth will be repaid,
    how much more[q] the wicked and sinner.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:1 Literally “a full stone” or “a pure stone”
  2. Proverbs 11:12 Literally “heart”
  3. Proverbs 11:14 Or “people”
  4. Proverbs 11:17 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  5. Proverbs 11:18 Or “does, makes”
  6. Proverbs 11:18 Literally “gain of deception”
  7. Proverbs 11:18 Literally “a reward of truth”
  8. Proverbs 11:19 Hebrew “and”
  9. Proverbs 11:20 Literally “crooked ones of heart”; “heart” may also be translated “mind”
  10. Proverbs 11:20 Literally “blameless ones of ways”
  11. Proverbs 11:21 Literally “Hand to hand”
  12. Proverbs 11:21 Or “seed”
  13. Proverbs 11:24 Literally “adding more”
  14. Proverbs 11:24 Literally “from what is right”
  15. Proverbs 11:29 Or “breath, spirit”
  16. Proverbs 11:30 Or “persons,” or “inner selves”
  17. Proverbs 11:31 Literally “more for”

Watch What You Say and Do

11 The Lord hates anyone
    who cheats,
but he likes everyone
    who is honest.
Too much pride
can put you to shame.
    It's wiser to be humble.
If you do the right thing,
    honesty will be your guide.
But if you are crooked,
you will be trapped
    by your own dishonesty.

When God is angry,
    money won't help you.
Obeying God is the only way
    to be saved from death.
If you are truly good,
    you will do right;
if you are wicked,
you will be destroyed
    by your own sin.
Honesty can keep you safe,
but if you can't be trusted,
    you trap yourself.
When the wicked die,
    their hopes die with them.
Trouble goes right past
the Lord's people
    and strikes the wicked.

Dishonest people use gossip
    to destroy their neighbors;
good people are protected
    by their own good sense.
10 When honest people prosper
and the wicked disappear,
    the whole city celebrates.
11 Good people bring prosperity
    to their city,
but deceitful liars
    can destroy a city.

12 It's stupid to say bad things
    about your neighbors.
If you are sensible,
    you will keep quiet.
13 A gossip tells everything,
but a true friend
    will keep a secret.
14 (A) A city without wise leaders
    will end up in ruin;
a city with many wise leaders
    will be kept safe.

15 It's a dangerous thing
    to guarantee payment
for someone's debts.
    Don't do it!
16 A gracious woman
    will be respected,
but a ruthless man
    will only get rich.
17 Kindness is rewarded—
but if you are cruel,
    you hurt yourself.
18 Meanness gets you nowhere,
    but goodness is rewarded.
19 Always do the right thing,
    and you will live;
keep on doing wrong,
    and you will die.

20 The Lord hates sneaky people,
but he likes everyone
    who lives right.
21 You can be sure of this:
All crooks will be punished,
    but God's people won't.
22 A beautiful woman
    who acts foolishly
is like a gold ring
    on the snout of a pig.
23 Good people want what is best,
but troublemakers
    hope to stir up trouble.[a]

24 Sometimes you can become rich
by being generous
    or poor by being greedy.
25 Generosity will be rewarded:
    Give a cup of water,
and you will receive
    a cup of water in return.
26 Charge too much for grain,
    and you will be cursed;
sell it at a fair price,
    and you will be praised.
27 Try hard to do right,
    and you will win friends;
go looking for trouble,
    and you will find it.
28 Trust in your wealth,
    and you will be a failure,
but God's people will prosper
    like healthy plants.

29 Fools who cause trouble
in the family
    won't inherit a thing.
They will end up as slaves
    of someone with good sense.
30 Live right, and you will eat
    from the life-giving tree.
And if you act wisely,
    others will follow.[b]
31 (B) If good people are rewarded[c]
    here on this earth,
all who are cruel and mean
    will surely be punished.

Footnotes

  1. 11.23 Good people … trouble: Or “Good people do what is best, but troublemakers just stir up trouble.”
  2. 11.30 act … follow: Hebrew; one ancient translation “but violence leads to death.”
  3. 11.31 rewarded: Or “punished.”