Proverbs 11

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1A 1false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a 2just weight is His delight.2When 3pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.3The 4integrity of the upright will guide them, But the 5crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.46Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But 7righteousness delivers from death.5The 8righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But 9the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.6The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will 10be caught by their own greed.7When a wicked man dies, his 11expectation will perish, And the 12hope of strong men perishes.8The righteous is delivered from trouble, But the wicked 13takes his place.9With his 14mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the 15righteous will be delivered.10When it 16goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.11By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, But by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.12He who despises his neighbor lacks 17sense, But a man of understanding keeps silent.13He 18who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, But he who is 19trustworthy 20conceals a matter.14Where there is no 21guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is 22victory.15He who is 23guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, But he who hates 24being a guarantor is secure.16A 25gracious woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches.17The 26merciful man does 27himself good, But the cruel man 28does himself harm.18The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who 29sows righteousness gets a true reward.19He who is steadfast in 30righteousness will attain to life, And 31he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.20The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the 32blameless in their 33walk are His 34delight.2135Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, But the 36descendants of the righteous will be delivered.22As a 37ring of gold in a swine’s snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks 38discretion.23The desire of the righteous is only good, But the 39expectation of the wicked is wrath.24There 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.25The 4041generous man will be 42prosperous, And he who 43waters will himself be watered.26He who withholds grain, the 44people will curse him, But 45blessing will be on the head of him who 46sells it.27He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, But 47he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.28He who 48trusts in his riches will fall, But 49the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.29He who 50troubles his own house will 51inherit wind, And 52the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.30The fruit of the righteous is 53a tree of life, And 54he who is wise 55wins souls.31If 56the righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the sinner!