PROVERBS 11

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.

7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of strong men perishes.

8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes his place.

9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down.

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

13 He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

14 Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.

15 He who is guarantor for a stranger will surely suffer for it, but he who hates being a guarantor is secure.

16 A gracious woman attains honor, and ruthless men attain riches.

17 The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm.

18 The wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

19 He who is steadfast in righteousness will attain to life, and he who pursues evil will bring about his own death.

20 The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.

21 Assuredly, the evil man will not go unpunished, but the descendants of the righteous will be delivered.

22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout so is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

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

24 There 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.

25 The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.

26 He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

29 He who troubles his own house will inherit wind, and the foolish will be servant to the wisehearted.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.

Reflection

In today’s passage we read more proverbs from Solomon. The chapter goes back and forth comparing the righteous and the wicked and the consequences of their actions. As we go through our lives, we have to remember that our choices don’t solely affect us; they affect everyone around us too. Verse 31 tells us that “if the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner”!

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