3A man will not be established by wickedness,
         But the root of the righteous will not be moved.

4An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
         But she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones.

5The thoughts of the righteous are just,
         But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

6The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
         But the mouth of the upright will deliver them.

7The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
         But the house of the righteous will stand.

8A man will be praised according to his insight,
         But one of perverse mind will be despised.

9Better is he who is lightly esteemed and has a servant
         Than he who honors himself and lacks bread.

10A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,
         But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

11He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
         But he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

12The wicked man desires the booty of evil men,
         But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

13An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
         But the righteous will escape from trouble.

14A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words,
         And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.

15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
         But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

16A fool’s anger is known at once,
         But a prudent man conceals dishonor.

17He who speaks truth tells what is right,
         But a false witness, deceit.

18There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword,
         But the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19Truthful lips will be established forever,
         But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

20Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
         But counselors of peace have joy.

21No harm befalls the righteous,
         But the wicked are filled with trouble.

22Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
         But those who deal faithfully are His delight.

23A prudent man conceals knowledge,
         But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

24The hand of the diligent will rule,
         But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

25Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
         But a good word makes it glad.

26The righteous is a guide to his neighbor,
         But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27A lazy man does not roast his prey,
         But the precious possession of a man is diligence.

28In the way of righteousness is life,
         And in its pathway there is no death.

Parallel Verses

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
A good man will obtain favor from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
A good person obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns everyone who schemes.

King James Bible
A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that is good, shall draw grace from the Lord : but he that trusteth in his own devices doth wickedly.

Darby Bible Translation
A good man obtaineth favour of Jehovah; but a man of mischievous devices will he condemn.

English Revised Version
A good man shall obtain favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Webster's Bible Translation
A good man obtaineth favor from the LORD: but a man of wicked devices he will condemn.

World English Bible
A good man shall obtain favor from Yahweh, but he will condemn a man of wicked devices.

Young's Literal Translation
The good bringeth forth favour from Jehovah, And the man of wicked devices He condemneth.

Cross References

2 Samuel 15:3 Then Absalom would say to him, "See, your claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king."

Proverbs 3:4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 8:35 "For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid.

Proverbs 14:22 Will they not go astray who devise evil? But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

Commentary

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verse 2

Note, 1. We are really as we are with God. Those are happy, truly happy, for ever happy, that obtain favour of the Lord, though the world frown upon them, and they find little favour with men; for in God's favour is life, and that is the fountain of all good. On the other hand those are miserable whom he condemns, however men may applaud them, and cry them up; whom he condemns he condemns to the second death. 2. We are with God as we are with men, as we have our conversation in this world. Our Father judges of his children very much by their conduct one to another; and therefore a good man, that is merciful, and charitable, and does good, draws out favour from the Lord by his prayers; but a malicious man, that devises wickedness against his neighbours, he will condemn, as unworthy of a place in his kingdom.

Links

Proverbs 12 Commentaries: Barnes • Clarke • Darby • Gill • Geneva • Guzik • JFB • Keil / Delitzsch • KJV Translators' • Henry's Concise • Matthew Henry • Scofield • TSK • Wesley

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New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

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April the Twenty-Second Speech as a Symptom of Health
"The tongue of the wise is health." --PROVERBS xii. 13-22. Our doctors often test our physical condition by the state of our tongue. With another and deeper significance the tongue is also the register of our condition. Our words are a perfect index of our moral and spiritual health. If our words are unclean and untrue, our souls are assuredly sickly and diseased. A perverse tongue is never allied with a sanctified heart. And, therefore, everyone may apply a clinical test to his own life: "What …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

To Pastors and Teachers
To Pastors and Teachers If all who laboured for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately into Prayer and the Interior Life, and make it their main design to gain and win over the heart, numberless as well as permanent conversions would certainly ensue. On the contrary, few and transient fruits must attend that labour which is confined to outward matters; such as burdening the disciple with a thousand precepts for external exercises, instead of leaving the soul to Christ by the …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us
"My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular …
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"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
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Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament