Proverbs 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 11
1 False scales are an abomination to the Lord,
but an honest weight, his delight.[a](A)
2 When pride comes, disgrace comes;
but with the humble is wisdom.[b]
3 The honesty of the upright guides them;
the faithless are ruined by their duplicity.
4 Wealth is useless on a day of wrath,[c](B)
but justice saves from death.
5 The justice of the honest makes their way straight,
but by their wickedness the wicked fall.[d](C)
6 The justice of the upright saves them,
but the faithless are caught in their own intrigue.
7 When a person dies, hope is destroyed;(D)
expectation pinned on wealth is destroyed.[e]
8 The just are rescued from a tight spot,
but the wicked fall into it instead.
9 By a word the impious ruin their neighbors,(E)
but through their knowledge the just are rescued.[f]
10 When the just prosper, the city rejoices;(F)
when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 Through the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,
but through the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
12 Whoever reviles a neighbor lacks sense,
but the intelligent keep silent.
13 One who slanders reveals secrets,(G)
but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
14 For lack of guidance a people falls;
security lies in many counselors.(H)
15 Harm will come to anyone going surety for another,(I)
but whoever hates giving pledges is secure.[g]
16 A gracious woman gains esteem,
and ruthless men gain wealth.[h]
17 Kindly people benefit themselves,
but the merciless harm themselves.
18 The wicked make empty profits,
but those who sow justice have a sure reward.(J)
19 Justice leads toward life,
but pursuit of evil, toward death.
20 The crooked in heart are an abomination to the Lord,
but those who walk blamelessly are his delight.[i]
21 Be assured, the wicked shall not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the just shall escape.
22 Like a golden ring in a swine’s snout
is a beautiful woman without judgment.[j]
23 The desire of the just ends only in good;
the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 One person is lavish yet grows still richer;
another is too sparing, yet is the poorer.[k]
25 Whoever confers benefits will be amply enriched,
and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
26 Whoever hoards grain, the people curse,
but blessings are on the head of one who distributes it!
27 Those who seek the good seek favor,
but those who pursue evil will have evil come upon them.[l]
28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but like green leaves the just will flourish.(K)
29 Those who trouble their household inherit the wind,
and fools become slaves to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of justice is a tree of life,
and one who takes lives is a sage.[m]
31 If the just are recompensed on the earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner
Footnotes
- 11:1 The word pair “abomination” and “delight” (= acceptable) to God is common in Proverbs. Originally the language of ritual, the words came to be applied to whatever pleases or displeases God (cf. also 11:20). False weights were a constant problem even though weights were standardized. Cf. 20:23; Hos 12:8; Am 8:5.
- 11:2 Disgrace is the very opposite of what the proud so ardently want. Those who do not demand their due receive wisdom.
- 11:4 Cf. note on 10:2. A day of wrath is an unforeseen disaster (even death). Only one’s relationship to God, which makes one righteous, is of any help on such a day.
- 11:5 In Hebrew as in English, “way” means the course of one’s life; similarly, “straight” and “crooked” are metaphors for morally straightforward and for bad, deviant, perverted.
- 11:7 An ancient scribe added “wicked” to person in colon A, for the statement that hope ends at death seemed to deny life after death. The saying, however, is not concerned with life after death but with the fact that in the face of death all hopes based on one’s own resources are vain. The aphorism is the climax of the preceding six verses; human resources cannot overcome mortality (cf. Ps 49:13).
- 11:9 What the wicked express harms others; what the righteous leave unsaid protects. Verses 9–14 are related in theme: the effect of good and bad people, especially their words, on their community.
- 11:15 Proverbs is opposed to providing surety for another’s loan (see note on 6:1–5) and expresses this view throughout the book.
- 11:16 Wealth and esteem are good things in Proverbs, but the means for acquiring them are flawed. As precious gifts, they must be granted, not taken. The esteem of others that depends on beauty is as fleeting as beauty itself (cf. 31:30) and the wealth acquired by aggressive behavior lasts only as long as one has physical strength.
- 11:20 The terminology of ritual (acceptable and unacceptable sacrifice, “abomination” and “delight”) is applied to human conduct as in v. 1. The whole of human life is under divine scrutiny, not just ritual.
- 11:22 Ear and nose rings were common jewelry for women. A humorous saying on the priority of wisdom over beauty in choosing a wife.
- 11:24 A paradox: spending leads to more wealth.
- 11:27 The saying is about seeking one thing and finding another. Striving for good leads to acceptance by God; seeking evil means only that trouble will come. The same Hebrew word means evil and trouble.
- 11:30 Most translations emend Hebrew “wise person” in colon B on the basis of the Greek and Syriac translations to “violence” (similar in spelling), because the verb “to take a life” is a Hebrew idiom for “to kill” (as also in English). The emendation is unnecessary, however, for the saying deliberately plays on the odd meaning: the one who takes lives is not the violent but the wise person, for the wise have a profound influence upon life. There is a similar wordplay in 29:10.
- 11:31 The saying is not about life after death; “on the earth” means life in the present world. The meaning is that divine judgment is exercised on all human action, even the best. The thought should strike terror into the hearts of habitual wrongdoers.
Proverbs 11
Good News Translation
11 The Lord hates people who use dishonest scales. He is happy with honest weights.
2 People who are proud will soon be disgraced. It is wiser to be modest.
3 If you are good, you are guided by honesty. People who can't be trusted are destroyed by their own dishonesty.
4 Riches will do you no good on the day you face death, but honesty can save your life.
5 Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall.
6 Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed.
7 When the wicked die, their hope dies with them. Confidence placed in riches comes to nothing.
8 The righteous are protected from trouble; it comes to the wicked instead.
9 You can be ruined by the talk of godless people, but the wisdom of the righteous can save you.
10 A city is happy when honest people have good fortune, and there are joyful shouts when the wicked die.
11 A city becomes great when the righteous give it their blessing; but a city is brought to ruin by the words of the wicked.
12 It is foolish to speak scornfully of others. If you are smart, you will keep quiet.
13 No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.
14 (A)A nation will fall if it has no guidance. Many advisers mean security.
15 If you promise to pay a stranger's debt, you will regret it. You are better off if you don't get involved.
16 A gracious woman is respected, but a woman without virtue is a disgrace.
Lazy people will never have money,[a] but aggressive people will get rich.
17 You do yourself a favor when you are kind. If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself.
18 Wicked people do not really gain anything, but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded.
19 Anyone who is determined to do right will live, but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die.
20 The Lord hates evil-minded people, but loves those who do right.
21 You can be sure that evil people will be punished, but the righteous will escape.
22 Beauty in a woman without good judgment is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.
23 What good people want always results in good; when the wicked get what they want, everyone is angry.[b]
24 Some people spend their money freely and still grow richer. Others are cautious, and yet grow poorer.
25 Be generous, and you will be prosperous. Help others, and you will be helped.
26 People curse someone who hoards grain, waiting for a higher price, but they praise the one who puts it up for sale.
27 If your goals are good, you will be respected, but if you are looking for trouble, that is what you will get.
28 Those who depend on their wealth will fall like the leaves of autumn, but the righteous will prosper like the leaves of summer.
29 Those who bring trouble on their families will have nothing at the end.
Foolish people will always be servants to the wise.
30 Righteousness[c] gives life, but violence[d] takes it away.
31 (B)Those who are good are rewarded here on earth, so you can be sure that wicked and sinful people will be punished.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:16 One ancient translation but a woman … money; Hebrew does not have these words.
- Proverbs 11:23 everyone is angry; or God punishes them.
- Proverbs 11:30 One ancient translation Righteousness; Hebrew A righteous person.
- Proverbs 11:30 Probable text violence; Hebrew a wise person.
Proverbi 11
La Nuova Diodati
11 La bilancia falsa è un abominio per l'Eterno, ma il peso giusto gli è gradito.
2 Quando viene la superbia, viene anche il disonore; ma la sapienza è con gli umili.
3 L'integrità degli uomini retti li guida, ma la perversità dei perfidi li distruggerà.
4 Le ricchezze non giovano affatto nel giorno dell'ira, ma la giustizia salva da morte.
5 La giustizia dell'uomo integro gli appiana la via, ma l'empio cade per la sua empietà.
6 La giustizia degli uomini retti li libera, ma i perfidi saranno presi nella loro stessa malvagità.
7 Quando un empio muore, la sua speranza perisce, e l'attesa degli ingiusti svanisce.
8 Il giusto è liberato dall'avversità, ma l'empio ne prende il posto.
9 Con la sua bocca l'ipocrita manda in rovina il suo prossimo, ma i giusti sono liberati a motivo della loro conoscenza.
10 Quando i giusti prosperano, la città gioisce; ma quando periscono gli empi ci sono grida di gioia.
11 Per la benedizione degli uomini retti la città è innalzata, ma per la bocca degli empi va in rovina.
12 Chi disprezza il suo prossimo è privo di senno, ma l'uomo prudente tace.
13 Chi va in giro sparlando svela i segreti, ma chi ha lo spirito leale cela la cosa.
14 Senza una saggia guida il popolo cade, ma nel gran numero di consiglieri c'è salvezza.
15 Chi si fa garante per un estraneo ne soffrirà danno, ma chi rifiuta di dar la mano come garanzia è sicuro.
16 La donna graziosa ottiene la gloria, e gli uomini violenti ottengono ricchezze.
17 L'uomo misericordioso fa bene a se stesso, ma il crudele tormenta la sua stessa carne.
18 L'empio realizza un guadagno fallace, ma chi semina giustizia avrà una ricompensa sicura.
19 Come la giustizia conduce alla vita così chi va dietro al male si procura la morte.
20 I perversi di cuore sono un abominio per l'Eterno, ma quelli che sono integri nella loro condotta gli sono graditi.
21 Anche se stringe la mano ad un altro per un'alleanza, il malvagio non rimarrà impunito, ma la progenie dei giusti scamperà.
22 Come un anello d'oro nel grugno di un porco, cosí è una bella donna senza senno.
23 Il desiderio dei giusti è soltanto il bene, ma la speranza degli empi è l'ira.
24 C'è chi spande generosamente e diventa piú ricco, e c'è chi risparmia piú del necessario e diventa sempre piú povero.
25 La persona generosa si arricchirà e chi annaffia sarà egli pure annaffiato.
26 Il popolo maledice chi si rifiuta di dare il grano, ma la benedizione è sul capo di chi lo vende,
27 Chi cerca con diligenza il bene si attira benevolenza, ma chi cerca il male, questo gli verrà addosso.
28 Chi confida nelle sue ricchezze cadrà, ma i giusti sbocceranno come foglie.
29 Chi getta scompiglio in casa propria erediterà vento, e lo stolto sarà servo di chi è saggio di cuore.
30 Il frutto del giusto è un albero di vita, e chi fa conquista di anime è saggio.
31 Ecco, il giusto riceve la ricompensa sulla terra, tanto piú l'empio e il peccatore!
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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Copyright © 1991 by La Buona Novella s.c.r.l.