Proverbs 11:1-31 (New American Standard)

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1 A ¹false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a ²just weight is His delight. 2 When ³pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom. 3 The ⁴integrity of the upright will guide them, But the ⁵crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. 4 ⁶Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But ⁷righteousness delivers from death. 5 The ⁸righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But ⁹the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. 6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will ¹⁰be caught by their own greed. 7 When a wicked man dies, his ¹¹expectation will perish, And the ¹²hope of strong men perishes. 8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked ^atakes his place. 9 With his ¹³mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the ¹⁴righteous will be delivered. 10 When it ¹⁵goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting. 11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. 12 He who despises his neighbor lacks ^bsense, But a man of understanding keeps silent. 13 He ¹⁶who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is ^ctrustworthy ¹⁷conceals a matter. 14 Where there is no ¹⁸guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is ^dvictory. 15 He who is ¹⁹guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates ^ebeing a guarantor is secure. 16 A ²⁰gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches. 17 The ²¹merciful man does ^fhimself good, But the cruel man ^gdoes himself harm. 18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who ²²sows righteousness gets a true reward. 19 He who is steadfast in ²³righteousness will attain to life, And ²⁴he who pursues evil will bring about his own death. 20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the ²⁵blameless in their ^hwalk are His ²⁶delight. 21 ⁱAssuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the ^jdescendants of the righteous will be delivered. 22 As a ²⁷ring of gold in a swine's snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks ^kdiscretion. 23 The desire of the righteous is only good, But the ²⁸expectation of the wicked is wrath. 24 There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. 25 The ^l29generous man will be ^mprosperous, And he who ³⁰waters will himself be watered. 26 He who withholds grain, the ³¹people will curse him, But ³²blessing will be on the head of him who ³³sells it. 27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But ³⁴he who seeks evil, evil will come to him. 28 He who ³⁵trusts in his riches will fall, But ³⁶the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. 29 He who ³⁷troubles his own house will ³⁸inherit wind, And ³⁹the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted. 30 The fruit of the righteous is ⁴⁰a tree of life, And ⁴¹he who is wise ⁿwins souls. 31 If ⁴²the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner !