27 The one who searches for what is good(A) seeks favor,
but if someone looks for trouble, it will come to him.(B)

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27 The one who diligently seeks[a] good seeks favor,
but the one who searches for[b] evil—it will come to him.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:27 tn Two separate words are used here for “seek.” The first is שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to seek diligently”) and the second is בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek after; to look for”). Whoever is seeking good is in effect seeking favor—from either God or man (e.g., Ps 5:12; Isa 49:8).
  2. Proverbs 11:27 tn The participle דֹּרֵשׁ (doresh) means “to seek; to inquire; to investigate.” A person generally receives the consequences of the kind of life he seeks.
  3. Proverbs 11:27 tn The verb is the imperfect tense, third feminine singular, referring to “evil,” the object of the participle.