Proverbs 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates reproof is stupid.[a](A)
2 A good person wins favor from the Lord,
but the schemer he condemns.[b]
3 No one is made secure by wickedness,
but the root of the just will never be disturbed.[c]
4 A woman of worth is the crown of her husband,(B)
but a disgraceful one is like rot in his bones.[d]
5 The plans of the just are right;
the designs of the wicked are deceit.[e]
6 The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush,
but the speech of the upright saves them.[f]
7 Overthrow the wicked and they are no more,
but the house of the just stands firm.
8 For their good sense people are praised,
but the perverse of heart are despised.[g]
9 Better to be slighted and have a servant
than put on airs and lack bread.(C)
10 The just take care of their livestock,
but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.[h]
11 Those who till their own land have food in plenty,
but those who engage in idle pursuits lack sense.[i](D)
12 A wicked person desires the catch of evil people,
but the root of the righteous will bear fruit.[j]
13 By the sin of their lips the wicked are ensnared,
but the just escape from a tight spot.
14 From the fruit of their mouths people have their fill of good,(E)
and the works of their hands come back upon them.[k]
15 The way of fools is right in their own eyes,
but those who listen to advice are the wise.
16 Fools immediately show their anger,
but the shrewd conceal contempt.
17 Whoever speaks honestly testifies truly,
but the deceitful make lying witnesses.[l](F)
18 The babble of some people is like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise is healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
the lying tongue, for only a moment.[m]
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil,
but those who counsel peace have joy.
21 No harm befalls the just,
but the wicked are overwhelmed with misfortune.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,(G)
but those who are truthful, his delight.
23 The shrewd conceal knowledge,
but the hearts of fools proclaim folly.[n]
24 The diligent hand will govern,
but sloth makes for forced labor.(H)
25 Worry weighs down the heart,
but a kind word gives it joy.(I)
26 The just act as guides to their neighbors,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 Sloth does not catch its prey,
but the wealth of the diligent is splendid.
28 In the path of justice is life,
but the way of abomination leads to death.
Footnotes
- 12:1 Discipline in Proverbs is both doctrine and training. The path to wisdom includes obedience to teachers and parents, acceptance of the community’s traditions.
- 12:2 The antithesis is between the good person who, by reason of that goodness, already has divine acceptance, and the wicked person who, despite great effort, gains only condemnation.
- 12:3 Human beings are described as “made secure” in Jb 21:8; Ps 101:7; 102:29. “Root” in the context means enduring to succeeding generations, as in Mal 3:19 and Jb 8:17.
- 12:4 In Proverbs a crown is the result and sign of wise conduct. A good wife is a public sign of the husband’s shrewd judgment and divine blessing (crown), whereas a bad wife brings him inner pain (rot in the bones).
- 12:5 The opposite of “just” is not injustice but “deceit.” The wicked will be deceived in their plans in the sense that their planning will not succeed.
- 12:6 Words are a favorite theme of Proverbs. The words of the wicked effect harm to others whereas the words of the righteous protect themselves.
- 12:8 The heart, the seat of intelligence, will eventually be revealed in the actions that people do, either for praise or for blame.
- 12:10 The righteous are sympathetically aware of the needs of their livestock and prosper from their herd’s good health. The wicked will pay the price for their self-centeredness and cruelty.
- 12:11 The second line clarifies the first: idleness will give one plenty of nothing. “Lacking sense” is a common phrase for fools.
- 12:12 A difficult, possibly corrupt saying, but there is no good alternative to the Hebrew text. The wicked desire what the malevolent have captured or killed, but their actions will go for naught because they invite punishment. The righteous, on the other hand, will bear fruit.
- 12:14 The saying contrasts words and deeds. “Fruit” here is not what one normally eats, as in 1:31; 8:19; 31:16, 31, but the consequences of one’s actions. In the second line the things that issue from one’s hands (one’s deeds) come back to one in recompense or punishment. Prv 13:2a and 18:20 are variants. Cf. Mt 7:17; Gal 6:8.
- 12:17 What is the rule of thumb for judging legal testimony? Look to the ordinary conduct and daily speech of a witness.
- 12:19 The saying has a double meaning: lies are quickly found out whereas truthful statements endure; truth-tellers, being favored by God, live long lives, whereas liars invite punishment.
- 12:23 “Knowledge” here is “what one knows, has in one’s heart,” not knowledge in general. Fools reveal all they have stored in their heart and it naturally turns out to be folly. Revealing and concealing are constant themes in Proverbs.
箴言 12
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
智慧人的話能醫治人
12 喜愛教訓的，就是喜愛知識；
厭惡責備的，卻是愚頑人。
2 良善的人必得到耶和華的恩寵；
圖謀奸計的人，耶和華必把他定罪。
3 人不能恃憑惡行堅立；
但義人的根必不動搖。
4 有才德的妻子是丈夫的冠冕，
貽羞的婦人，如同丈夫骨中的朽爛。
5 義人的籌算是公平，
惡人的計謀卻是詭詐。
6 惡人的言語埋伏著，等待要流人的血，
正直人的口能拯救人。
7 惡人傾覆，就不再存在；
義人的家卻必站立得住。
8 人因著自己的明慧必得稱讚，
但心中乖謬的必被藐視。
9 被人輕看卻有僕人的人，
勝過自尊自大卻缺少食物的人。
10 義人連自己牲畜的性命也顧惜；
但惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。
11 耕種自己田地的，也有充足的糧食；
追求虛幻的，實在無知。
12 惡人貪慕壞人的網羅；
義人的根得以結果。
13 壞人嘴裡的過失，是自己的網羅；
但義人必脫離患難。
14 人因口所結的果子必飽嘗美物；
人手所作的必歸到他身上。
15 愚妄人所行的，在自己眼中看為正直，
只有智慧人肯聽勸告。
16 愚妄人的惱怒立時顯露，
精明的人卻能忍受羞辱。
17 吐露真情的，彰顯正義，
作假見證的卻是詭詐。
18 有人說話不慎，好像利刀刺人，
智慧人的舌頭卻能醫治人。
19 說實話的嘴唇，永遠堅立；
撒謊的舌頭，眨眼間消失。
20 圖謀惡事的，心存詭詐；
使人和睦的，心中喜樂。
21 義人不會遭遇災禍，
惡人卻飽經禍患。
22 撒謊的嘴唇是耶和華憎惡的；
行事誠實是他所喜悅的。
23 精明的人隱藏自己的知識，
愚昧人的心卻顯出愚妄。
24 殷勤人的手必掌權，
懶惰人的手必作苦工。
25 心中憂慮，使人消沉；
一句良言使他歡喜。
26 義人作自己鄰舍的引導；
惡人的道路，卻使別人走迷。
27 懶惰的人不去燒烤他的獵物，
殷勤的人卻得寶貴的財物（“殷勤的人卻得寶貴的財物”或譯：“人寶貴的財物是殷勤”）。
28 在公義的路上有生命，
這路徑之上沒有死亡（“這路徑之上沒有死亡”有古譯本作“邪惡的路，引到死亡”）。
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.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
