Font Size
Proverbs 11-12
English Standard Version
Proverbs 11-12
English Standard Version
11 (A)A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
(B)but a just weight is his delight.
2 (C)When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with (D)the humble is wisdom.
3 (E)The integrity of the upright guides them,
(F)but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
4 (G)Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
(H)but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless (I)keeps his way straight,
but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
6 (J)The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the treacherous (K)are taken captive by their lust.
7 When the wicked dies, his (L)hope will perish,
and (M)the expectation of wealth[a] perishes too.
8 (N)The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead.
9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
10 (O)When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but (P)by the mouth of the wicked (Q)it is overthrown.
12 Whoever (R)belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
13 Whoever (S)goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
14 Where there is (T)no guidance, a people falls,
(U)but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
15 (V)Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
16 (W)A gracious woman gets honor,
and (X)violent men get riches.
17 (Y)A man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself.
18 The wicked earns deceptive wages,
but one who (Z)sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness (AA)will live,
but (AB)he who pursues evil will die.
20 Those of (AC)crooked heart are (AD)an abomination to the Lord,
but those of (AE)blameless ways are (AF)his delight.
21 (AG)Be assured, (AH)an evil person will not go unpunished,
but (AI)the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
22 Like (AJ)a gold ring in a pig's snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
(AK)the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
24 (AL)One gives (AM)freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
25 (AN)Whoever brings blessing (AO)will be enriched,
and (AP)one who waters will himself be watered.
26 (AQ)The people curse him who holds back grain,
but (AR)a blessing is on the head of him who (AS)sells it.
27 Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,[b]
but evil comes to (AT)him who searches for it.
28 Whoever (AU)trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will (AV)flourish like a green leaf.
29 Whoever (AW)troubles his own household will (AX)inherit the wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is (AY)a tree of life,
and whoever (AZ)captures souls is wise.
31 If (BA)the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who (BB)hates reproof is (BC)stupid.
2 A good man (BD)obtains favor from the Lord,
but a man of evil devices he condemns.
3 No one is established by wickedness,
but the root of (BE)the righteous will never be moved.
4 (BF)An excellent wife is (BG)the crown of her husband,
but she who (BH)brings shame is like (BI)rottenness in his bones.
5 (BJ)The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked (BK)lie in wait for blood,
but (BL)the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 (BM)The wicked are (BN)overthrown and are no more,
(BO)but the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man is commended according to his good sense,
but one of twisted mind is (BP)despised.
9 Better to be lowly and have a servant
than to play the great man and lack bread.
10 (BQ)Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
11 (BR)Whoever works his land (BS)will have plenty of bread,
(BT)but he who follows (BU)worthless pursuits lacks sense.
12 Whoever is wicked covets (BV)the spoil of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous bears fruit.
13 An evil man is ensnared (BW)by the transgression of his lips,[c]
(BX)but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth (BY)a man is satisfied with good,
(BZ)and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
15 (CA)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice.
16 (CB)The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but the prudent ignores an insult.
17 (CC)Whoever speaks[d] the truth gives honest evidence,
but (CD)a false witness utters deceit.
18 (CE)There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings (CF)healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but (CG)a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of (CH)those who devise evil,
but those who plan peace have joy.
21 (CI)No ill befalls the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 (CJ)Lying lips are (CK)an abomination to the Lord,
(CL)but those who act faithfully are his delight.
23 (CM)A prudent man conceals knowledge,
(CN)but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
24 (CO)The hand of the diligent will rule,
while the slothful will be (CP)put to forced labor.
25 (CQ)Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.
26 One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,[e]
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 (CR)Whoever is slothful will not roast his game,
but the diligent man will get precious wealth.[f]
28 (CS)In the path of righteousness is life,
and in its pathway there is no death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:7 Or of his strength, or of iniquity
- Proverbs 11:27 Or acceptance
- Proverbs 12:13 Or In the transgression of the lips, there is an evil snare
- Proverbs 12:17 Hebrew breathes out
- Proverbs 12:26 Or The righteous chooses his friends carefully
- Proverbs 12:27 Or but diligence is precious wealth
Proverbs 11-12
New International Version
Proverbs 11-12
New International Version
3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.(E)
5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,(I)
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.(J)
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.(K)
8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.(N)
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape.(O)
10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;(P)
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.(Q)
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,(R)
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.(S)
12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,(T)
but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.(U)
15 Whoever puts up security(Z) for a stranger will surely suffer,
but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.(AA)
16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,(AB)
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,
but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.
18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.(AC)
20 The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,(AF)
but he delights(AG) in those whose ways are blameless.(AH)
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.(AI)
22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
26 People curse the one who hoards grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.
27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.(AL)
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,(AM)
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.(AN)
29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise.(AO)
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,(AP)
and the one who is wise saves lives.
31 If the righteous receive their due(AQ) on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.(AR)
3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.(AU)
4 A wife of noble character(AV) is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(AW)
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.(AX)
8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped(BA) mind is despised.
9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,(BB)
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.(BC)
12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.
14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(BF)
and the work of their hands brings them reward.(BG)
17 An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.(BM)
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.(BP)
21 No harm overtakes the righteous,(BQ)
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.(BW)
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,(BX)
but a kind word cheers it up.
26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.(BY)
27 The lazy do not roast[b] any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
28 In the way of righteousness there is life;(BZ)
along that path is immortality.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:7 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate, Syriac and Targum When the wicked die, their hope perishes; / all they expected from
- Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.