1 B alances of deceit an abomination to Jehovah, And a perfect weight His delight.

A false balance and unrighteous dealings are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

2 P ride hath come, and shame cometh, And with the lowly wisdom.

When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.

3 T he integrity of the upright leadeth them, And the perverseness of the treacherous destroyeth them.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

4 W ealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

Riches provide no security in any day of wrath and judgment, but righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) delivers from death.

5 T he righteousness of the perfect maketh right his way, And by his wickedness doth the wicked fall.

The righteousness of the blameless shall rectify and make plain their way and keep it straight, but the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.

6 T he righteousness of the upright delivereth them, And in mischief the treacherous are captured.

The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity and greedy desire.

7 I n the death of a wicked man, hope perisheth, And the expectation of the iniquitous hath been lost.

When the wicked man dies, his hope perishes; and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing.

8 T he righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him.

The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead.

9 W ith the mouth a hypocrite corrupteth his friend, And by knowledge the righteous are drawn out.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge and superior discernment shall the righteous be delivered.

10 I n the good of the righteous a city exulteth, And in the destruction of the wicked singing.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, but when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

11 B y the blessing of the upright is a city exalted, And by the mouth of the wicked thrown down.

By the blessing of the influence of the upright and God’s favor the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 W hoso is despising his neighbour lacketh heart, And a man of understanding keepeth silence.

He who belittles and despises his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding keeps silent.

13 A busybody is revealing secret counsel, And the faithful of spirit is covering the matter.

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps the matter hidden.

14 W ithout counsels do a people fall, And deliverance in a multitude of counsellors.

Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

15 E vil suffereth when he hath been surety a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

He who becomes security for an outsider shall smart for it, but he who hates suretyship is secure.

16 A gracious woman retaineth honour, And terrible retain riches.

A gracious and good woman wins honor, and violent men win riches but a woman who hates righteousness is a throne of dishonor for him.

17 A kind man is rewarding his own soul, And the fierce is troubling his own flesh.

The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself, but he who is cruel and callous brings on himself retribution.

18 T he wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness -- a true reward.

The wicked man earns deceitful wages, but he who sows righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation) shall have a sure reward.

19 R ightly righteousness for life, And whoso is pursuing evil -- for his own death.

He who is steadfast in righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) attains to life, but he who pursues evil does it to his own death.

20 A n abomination to Jehovah the perverse of heart, And the perfect of the way His delight.

They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless and wholehearted in their ways are His delight!

21 H and to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

Assuredly the wicked shall not go unpunished, but the multitude of the righteous shall be delivered.

22 A ring of gold in the nose of a sow -- A fair woman and stubborn of behaviour.

As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman who is without discretion.

23 T he desire of the righteous only good, The hope of the wicked transgression.

The desire of the righteous brings only good, but the expectation of the wicked brings wrath.

24 T here is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want.

There are those who scatter abroad, and yet increase more; there are those who withhold more than is fitting or what is justly due, but it results only in want.

25 A liberal soul is made fat, And whoso is watering, he also is watered.

The liberal person shall be enriched, and he who waters shall himself be watered.

26 W hoso is withholding corn, the people execrate him, And a blessing for the head of him who is selling.

The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is upon the head of him who sells it.

27 W hoso is earnestly seeking good Seeketh a pleasing thing, And whoso is seeking evil -- it meeteth him.

He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.

28 W hoso is confident in his wealth he falleth, And as a leaf, the righteous flourish.

He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the righteous shall flourish like a green bough.

29 W hoso is troubling his own house inheriteth wind, And a servant the fool to the wise of heart.

He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind, and the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

30 T he fruit of the righteous a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls wise.

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives.

31 L o, the righteous in the earth is recompensed, Surely also the wicked and the sinner!

Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed on earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner! And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and wicked ?