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Wealth isn’t worth anything when God judges you.
    But doing what is right saves you from death.

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Wealth(A) is worthless in the day of wrath,(B)
    but righteousness delivers from death.(C)

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16 A woman who has a kind heart gains honor.
    But men who are not kind gain only wealth.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves.
    But mean people bring ruin on themselves.

18 An evil person really earns nothing.
    But the one who plants what is right will certainly be rewarded.

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16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,(A)
    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.(B)

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28 Those who trust in their riches will fall.
    But those who do right will be as healthy as a green leaf.

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28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,(A)
    but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.(B)

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11 Money gained in the wrong way disappears.
    But money gathered little by little grows.

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11 Dishonest money dwindles away,(A)
    but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

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16 It is better to have respect for the Lord and have little
    than to be rich and have trouble.

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16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
    than great wealth with turmoil.(A)

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27 Those who always want more bring ruin to their households.
    But a person who refuses to be paid to lie will live.

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27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
    but the one who hates bribes will live.(A)

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Those who give money think it will buy them favors.
    They think that no matter where they turn, they will succeed.

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A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.(A)

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17 Food gained by cheating tastes sweet.
    But you will end up with a mouth full of gravel.

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17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,(A)
    but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.(B)

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21 Property that you claim too soon
    will not be blessed in the end.

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21 An inheritance claimed too soon
    will not be blessed at the end.

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The plans of people who work hard succeed.
    You can be just as sure that those in a hurry will become poor.

A fortune made by people who tell lies
    amounts to nothing and leads to death.

The harmful things that evil people do will drag them away.
    They refuse to do what is right.

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The plans of the diligent lead to profit(A)
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a](B)

The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(C)
    for they refuse to do what is right.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death

14 A secret gift calms down anger.
    A hidden favor softens great anger.

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14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(A)

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It is better to be poor and live without blame
    than to be rich and follow a crooked path.

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Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than the rich whose ways are perverse.(A)

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Someone might get rich by taking interest or profit from poor people.
    But that person only piles up wealth for someone who will be kind to poor people.

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Whoever increases wealth by taking interest(A) or profit from the poor
    amasses it for another,(B) who will be kind to the poor.(C)

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