Proverbs 11
11
Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way
1 God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard.
2The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
but down-to-earth people stand firm.
3The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.
4A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
but a principled life can stand up to the worst.
5Moral character makes for smooth traveling;
an evil life is a hard life.
6Good character is the best insurance;
crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.
7When the wicked die, that’s it—
the story’s over, end of hope.
8A good person is saved from much trouble;
a bad person runs straight into it.
9The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;
the common sense of the godly preserves them.
10When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;
when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.
11When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;
evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.
12Mean-spirited slander is heartless;
quiet discretion accompanies good sense.
13A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,
but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.
14Without good direction, people lose their way;
the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.
15Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;
if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.
16A woman of gentle grace gets respect,
but men of rough violence grab for loot.
A God-Shaped Life
17When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;
when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.
18Bad work gets paid with a bad check;
good work gets solid pay.
19Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,
or chase after phantoms of evil and die.
20 God can’t stand deceivers,
but oh how he relishes integrity.
21Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,
and God’s loyal people will triumph.
22Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful face on an empty head.
23The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.
24The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
25The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.
26Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!
Blessings on all who play fair and square!
27The one who seeks good finds delight;
the student of evil becomes evil.
28A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;
a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.
29Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;
common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.
30A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;
a violent life destroys souls.
31If good people barely make it,
what’s in store for the bad!
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Proverbs 11: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Proverbs 11
11
The Value of Righteousness
1Dishonest scales are disgusting to the Lord,
but accurate weights are pleasing to him.
2Arrogance comes,
then comes shame,
but wisdom remains with humble people.
3Integrity guides decent people,
but hypocrisy leads treacherous people to ruin.
4Riches are of no help on the day of fury,
but righteousness saves from death.
5The righteousness of innocent people makes their road smooth,
but wicked people fall by their own wickedness.
6Decent people are saved by their righteousness,
but treacherous people are trapped by their own greed.
7At the death of a wicked person, hope vanishes.
Moreover, his confidence in strength vanishes.
8A righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and a wicked person takes his place.
9With his talk a godless person can ruin his neighbor,
but righteous people are rescued by knowledge.
10When righteous people prosper, a city is glad.
When wicked people die, there are songs of joy.
11With the blessing of decent people a city is raised up,
but by the words of wicked people, it is torn down.
12A person who despises a neighbor has no sense,
but a person who has understanding keeps quiet.
13Whoever gossips gives away secrets,
but whoever is trustworthy in spirit can keep a secret.
14A nation will fall when there is no direction,
but with many advisers there is victory.
15Whoever guarantees a stranger’s loan will get into trouble,
but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure.
16A gracious woman wins respect,
but ruthless men gain riches.
17A merciful person helps himself,
but a cruel person hurts himself.
18A wicked person earns dishonest wages,
but whoever spreads righteousness earns honest pay.
19As righteousness leads to life,
so whoever pursues evil finds his own death.
20Devious people are disgusting to the Lord,
but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent.
21Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the descendants of righteous people will escape.
22 ⌞Like⌟ a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
⌞so⌟ is a beautiful woman who lacks good taste.
23The desire of righteous people ends only in good,
but the hope of wicked people ends only in fury.
24One person spends freely and yet grows richer,
while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer.
25A generous person will be made rich,
and whoever satisfies others will himself be satisfied.#11:25 Or “and whoever gives someone a drink will also get a drink.”
26People will curse the one who hoards grain,
but a blessing will be upon the head of the one who sells it.
27Whoever eagerly seeks good searches for good will,
but whoever looks for evil finds it.
28Whoever trusts his riches will fall,
but righteous people will flourish like a green leaf.
29Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits ⌞only⌟ wind,
and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart.
30The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life,
and a winner of souls is wise.
31If the righteous person is rewarded on earth,
how much more the wicked person and the sinner!
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.