Proverbs 11:5

New Living Translation

⁵The godly are directed by honesty;
the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

Proverbs 11:5

New English Translation

⁵The righteousness of the blameless will make their way smooth,^[a]
but the wicked will fall through their own wickedness.^[b]

Proverbs 11:5 tn The Piel form of the verb יָשַׁר (yashar) means “to make straight, smooth or easy.” The concrete image is about making a road level and smooth; it represents an easier way of life. It does not mean an easy life in all respects, but means that integrity removes some obstacles and hardships in life, and integrity is the right choice for how to live.
Proverbs 11:5 sn The wicked may think that they can make their way through life easier by their wickedness, but instead it will at some point bring them down.tn The masculine singular pronouns have been replaces with third person plural pronouns for the sake of style.

²⁰The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
but he delights in those with integrity.

²⁰The Lord abhors^[a] those who are perverse in heart,^[b]
but those who are blameless in their ways^[c] are his delight.^[d]

Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “an abomination of the Lord.” The term יְהוָה (y^ehvah, “the Lord”) functions as a subjective genitive. Cf. NIV “detests”; NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT “hates.”
Proverbs 11:20 sn The word עִקְּשֵׁי (ʿiqq^eshe, “crooked; twisted; perverted”) describes the wicked as having “twisted minds.” Their mentality is turned toward evil things.
Proverbs 11:20 tn Heb “those who are blameless of way.” The noun דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) is a genitive of specification: “blameless in their way.”
Proverbs 11:20 sn The noun means “goodwill, favor, acceptance, will”; it is related to the verb רָצַה (ratsah) which means “to be pleased with; to accept favorably.” These words are used frequently in scripture to describe what pleases the Lord, meaning, what he accepts. In particular, sacrifices offered properly find acceptance with God (Ps 51:19). Here the lifestyle that is blameless pleases him.

¹⁰Those who lead good people along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,
but the honest will inherit good things.

¹⁰The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way
will himself fall into his own pit,^[a]
but the blameless will inherit what is good.^[b]

Proverbs 28:10 sn The image of falling into a pit (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis, involving implied comparison) is meant to say that the evil to which he guides people will ultimately destroy him.
Proverbs 28:10 sn This proverb is teaching that those who corrupt others will be destroyed, usually by their own devices, but those who manage to avoid being corrupted will be rewarded. According to this proverb the righteous can be led astray (e.g., 26:27).

New Living Translation (NLT)

New English Translation (NET)