Proverbs 11

¹The Lord detests dishonest scales,

but accurate weights find favor with him.

²When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

⁴Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

⁷Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

⁸The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

and it falls on the wicked instead.

⁹With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

¹⁰When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

¹²Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,

but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

¹³A gossip betrays a confidence,

but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

¹⁴For lack of guidance a nation falls,

but victory is won through many advisers.

¹⁵Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.

¹⁶A kindhearted woman gains honor,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷Those who are kind benefit themselves,

but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

¹⁸A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

¹⁹Truly the righteous attain life,

but whoever pursues evil finds death.

²⁰The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse,

but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

²¹Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

²⁴One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

²⁵A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

²⁶People curse the one who hoards grain,

but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

²⁷Whoever seeks good finds favor,

but evil comes to one who searches for it.

²⁸Those who trust in their riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

²⁹Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and the one who is wise saves lives.

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!