Proverbs 11
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 11
The Fruit of the Righteous . . .[a]
1 False scales are an abomination to the Lord,
but a true weight is pleasing to him.
2 When pride is nurtured, disgrace soon follows,
but wisdom is the hallmark of the humble.
3 The upright are guarded by their integrity;
the treacherous are destroyed by their own duplicity.
4 Riches will be of no avail on the day of wrath,[b]
but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The virtue of the honest man keeps his way straight,
whereas the evil man falls as a result of his wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright saves them,
but the treacherous are trapped by their own schemes.
7 When a wicked man dies, all his expectations die with him,
and the hope he placed in his riches comes to nought.
8 The righteous man escapes affliction,
and the wicked man incurs it instead.
9 With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor,
but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered.
10 The city rejoices when the upright prosper,
and when the wicked are ruined, there is exultation.
11 Through the blessing of the righteous a city is raised,
but it is destroyed by the mouth of the wicked.
12 A man who lacks sense belittles a neighbor,
but an intelligent man remains silent.
13 One who gossips reveals secrets,
but a trustworthy man keeps things hidden.
14 For lack of leadership a nation collapses;
safety is assured with a multitude of advisers.
15 Whoever puts up bail for a stranger will suffer loss,
but the one who refuses to do so will be safe.
16 A gracious woman acquires honor,
while the woman who hates virtue is covered with shame.
Those who are lazy become destitute,
but those who are diligent gain wealth.[c]
17 A kind man benefits himself,
whereas a cruel man hurts himself.
18 The labors of the wicked man produce little profit,
but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
19 Whoever is steadfast in righteousness finds life,
but the one who pursues evil is on the road to death.
20 Those with perverse hearts are abhorrent to the Lord,
but those whose ways are blameless are dear to him.
21 You need have no fear that the wicked will not be punished,
but those who are righteous will escape harm.
22 Like a ring of gold[d] in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman without good sense.
23 The righteous desire only what is good;
the expectation of the wicked ends in wrath.
24 One man gives lavishly and increases his wealth,
while another is tight-fisted and ends up impoverished.[e]
25 A generous person will be enriched;
he who refreshes others will also be refreshed.
26 The people curse those who hoard grain,
but the one who sells it earns their blessing.
27 Whoever strives for good earns great acclaim,
but the one who pursues evil will be afflicted by it.
28 Whoever places his trust in riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like sprouting leaves.
29 Whoever causes trouble for his family inherits the wind,
and a fool will become a servant to the wise man.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and the wise man wins souls.[f]
31 If the just man receives his deserts on earth,
how much more will the wicked and the sinner!
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:1 Once again we see the opposition between the righteous and the wicked. For there are two ways of life, and no person escapes choosing one of them. The reward of the righteous is already inscribed in the heart in some manner in his life, whereas the wicked has no valid perspective before him. The themes of kindness and mercy are joined to those of truth, uprightness, and good.
- Proverbs 11:4 Day of wrath: i.e., the day of judgment (see Isa 10:3; Zep 1:18).
- Proverbs 11:16 This verse follows the Greek. The Hebrew reads: “A kindhearted woman gains respect,/ but ruthless men acquire wealth.”
- Proverbs 11:22 Ring of gold: usually worn by women on their nose (see Gen 24:47; Ezek 16:20).
- Proverbs 11:24 Generosity brings greater blessings and prosperity (see Prov 3:9-10; Ps 112:9; Eccl 11:1-2; 2 Cor 6:9), while the one who is tight-fisted makes no friends and harms himself (see Prov 21:13).
- Proverbs 11:30 And the wise man wins souls: the Greek reads: “but violence takes lives away.”
Proverbs 11
World English Bible
11 A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh,
but accurate weights are his delight.
2 When pride comes, then comes shame,
but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them,
but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
4 Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way,
but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them,
but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.
7 When a wicked man dies, hope perishes,
and expectation of power comes to nothing.
8 A righteous person is delivered out of trouble,
and the wicked takes his place.
9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,
but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices.
When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted,
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom,
but a man of understanding holds his peace.
13 One who brings gossip betrays a confidence,
but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.
14 Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls,
but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.
15 He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it,
but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.
16 A gracious woman obtains honor,
but violent men obtain riches.
17 The merciful man does good to his own soul,
but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 Wicked people earn deceitful wages,
but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
19 He who is truly righteous gets life.
He who pursues evil gets death.
20 Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to Yahweh,
but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.
21 Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished,
but the offspring[a] 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.
The expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, and increases yet more.
There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat.
He who waters shall be watered also himself.
26 People curse someone who withholds grain,
but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.
28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
29 He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind.
The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.
He who is wise wins souls.
31 Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
Footnotes
- 11:21 or, seed
Proverbs 11
New King James Version
The Folly of Wickedness
2 When pride comes, then comes (B)shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright will guide (C)them,
But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
4 (D)Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
But (E)righteousness delivers from death.
5 The righteousness of the blameless will [c]direct his way aright,
But the wicked will fall by his own (F)wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,
But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will (G)perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes.
8 (H)The righteous is delivered from trouble,
And it comes to the wicked instead.
9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
10 (I)When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is (J)exalted,
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He who [d]is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,
But a man of understanding holds his peace.
14 (M)Where there is no counsel, the people fall;
But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
16 A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
17 (O)The merciful man does good for his own soul,
But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
18 The wicked man does deceptive work,
But (P)he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
19 As righteousness leads to (Q)life,
So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own (R)death.
20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord,
But the blameless in their ways are His delight.
21 (S)Though they join [g]forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;
But (T)the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks [h]discretion.
23 The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked (U)is wrath.
24 There is one who (V)scatters, yet increases more;
And there is one who withholds more than is right,
But it leads to poverty.
25 (W)The generous soul will be made rich,
(X)And he who waters will also be watered himself.
26 The people will curse (Y)him who withholds grain,
But (Z)blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
29 He who troubles his own house (AD)will inherit the wind,
And the fool will be (AE)servant to the wise of heart.
31 (AG)If the righteous will be [k]recompensed on the earth,
How much more the ungodly and the sinner.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:1 deceptive
- Proverbs 11:1 Lit. perfect stone
- Proverbs 11:5 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 11:12 Lit. lacks heart
- Proverbs 11:15 guaranty
- Proverbs 11:15 those pledging guaranty, lit. those who strike hands
- Proverbs 11:21 Lit. hand to hand
- Proverbs 11:22 taste
- Proverbs 11:27 Lit. seeks
- Proverbs 11:30 Lit. takes, in the sense of brings, cf. 1 Sam. 16:11
- Proverbs 11:31 rewarded
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
