{Hebrew: A balance of deceit.}A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah;
But a just weight is his delight.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame;
But with the lowly is wisdom.
The integrity of the upright shall guide them;
But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
Riches profit not in the day of wrath;
But righteousness delivereth from death.
The righteousness of the perfect shall {Or, make straight (or, plain)}direct his way;
But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them;
But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish;
And the hope of {Or, strong men}iniquity perisheth.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble,
And the wicked cometh in his stead.
With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor;
But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth;
And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted;
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
He that despiseth his neighbor is void of {Hebrew: heart.}wisdom;
But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets;
But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.
Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth;
But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
He that is surety for a stranger {Hebrew: shall be sore broken.}shall smart for it;
But he that hateth {Hebrew: those that strike hands.}suretyship is secure.
A gracious woman obtaineth honor;
And violent men obtain riches.
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul;
But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
The wicked earneth deceitful wages;
But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.
{Or, So righteousness tendeth to life, and he &c.}He that is stedfast in righteousness shall attain unto life;
And he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death.
They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah;
But such as are perfect in their way are his delight.
{Or, My hand upon it! Hebrew: Hand to hand.}Though hand join in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished;
But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.
As a ring of gold in a swine's snout,
So is a fair woman that {Hebrew: turneth aside from.}is without discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good;
But the expectation of the wicked is {Or, arrogance}wrath.
There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more;
And there is that withholdeth {Or, what is justly due}more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want.
The liberal soul shall be made fat;
And he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
He that withholdeth grain, the people shall curse him;
But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favor;
But he that searcheth after evil, it shall come unto him.
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall;
But the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind;
And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life;
And he that is wise winneth souls.
Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth:
How much more the wicked and the sinner!
Querverweise zu Sprüche 11,15 Spr 11,15
My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor,If thou hast stricken {Or, thy hand with a stranger}thy hands for a stranger;
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor:Go, {Or, bestir}humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;
Give not sleep to thine eyes,Nor slumber to thine eyelids;
Deliver thyself as a {Or, gazelle}roe from the hand of the hunter,And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
A man void of {Hebrew: heart.}understanding striketh hands,And becometh surety in the presence of his neighbor.
Take his garment that is surety for a stranger;And {Or, take a pledge of him}hold him in pledge that is surety for {Another reading is, a foreign woman.}foreigners.
Be thou not one of them that strike hands,Or of them that are sureties for debts.
If thou hast not wherewith to pay,Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?