Proverbs 11

Dishonest Scales

(Deuteronomy 25:13–16; Ezekiel 45:10–12)

¹Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,

but an accurate weight is His delight.

²When pride comes, disgrace follows,

but with humility comes wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.

⁴Riches are worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

⁵The righteousness of the blameless directs their path,

but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.

⁷When the wicked man dies, his hope perishes,

and the hope of his strength vanishes.

⁸The righteous man is delivered from trouble;

in his place the wicked man goes in.

⁹With his mouth the ungodly man destroys his neighbor,

but through knowledge the righteous are rescued.

¹⁰When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices,

and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

¹¹By the blessing of the upright a city is built up,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

¹²Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment,

but a man of understanding remains silent.

¹³A gossip reveals a secret,

but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.

¹⁴For lack of guidance, a nation falls,

but with many counselors comes deliverance.

¹⁵He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

but the one who hates indebtedness is secure.

¹⁶A gracious woman attains honor,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

¹⁷A kind man benefits himself,

but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

¹⁸The wicked man earns an empty wage,

but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

¹⁹Genuine righteousness leads to life,

but the pursuit of evil brings death.

²⁰The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD,

but the blameless in their walk are His delight.1

²¹Be assured that the wicked will not go unpunished,

but the offspring of the righteous will escape.

²²Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous leads only to good,

but the hope of the wicked brings wrath.

²⁴One gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

²⁵A generous soul will prosper,

and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.1

²⁶The people will curse the hoarder of grain,

but blessing will crown the one who sells it.

²⁷He who searches out good finds favor,

but evil will come to him who seeks it.

²⁸He who trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like foliage.

²⁹He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

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

and he who wins souls is wise.

³¹If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!1