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Proverbs 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Proverbs 12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 12
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates reproof is stupid.[a](A)
2 A good person wins favor from the Lord,
but the schemer he condemns.[b]
3 No one is made secure by wickedness,
but the root of the just will never be disturbed.[c]
4 A woman of worth is the crown of her husband,(B)
but a disgraceful one is like rot in his bones.[d]
5 The plans of the just are right;
the designs of the wicked are deceit.[e]
6 The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush,
but the speech of the upright saves them.[f]
7 Overthrow the wicked and they are no more,
but the house of the just stands firm.
8 For their good sense people are praised,
but the perverse of heart are despised.[g]
9 Better to be slighted and have a servant
than put on airs and lack bread.(C)
10 The just take care of their livestock,
but the compassion of the wicked is cruel.[h]
11 Those who till their own land have food in plenty,
but those who engage in idle pursuits lack sense.[i](D)
12 A wicked person desires the catch of evil people,
but the root of the righteous will bear fruit.[j]
13 By the sin of their lips the wicked are ensnared,
but the just escape from a tight spot.
14 From the fruit of their mouths people have their fill of good,(E)
and the works of their hands come back upon them.[k]
15 The way of fools is right in their own eyes,
but those who listen to advice are the wise.
16 Fools immediately show their anger,
but the shrewd conceal contempt.
17 Whoever speaks honestly testifies truly,
but the deceitful make lying witnesses.[l](F)
18 The babble of some people is like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise is healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
the lying tongue, for only a moment.[m]
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil,
but those who counsel peace have joy.
21 No harm befalls the just,
but the wicked are overwhelmed with misfortune.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,(G)
but those who are truthful, his delight.
23 The shrewd conceal knowledge,
but the hearts of fools proclaim folly.[n]
24 The diligent hand will govern,
but sloth makes for forced labor.(H)
25 Worry weighs down the heart,
but a kind word gives it joy.(I)
26 The just act as guides to their neighbors,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 Sloth does not catch its prey,
but the wealth of the diligent is splendid.
28 In the path of justice is life,
but the way of abomination leads to death.
Footnotes
- 12:1 Discipline in Proverbs is both doctrine and training. The path to wisdom includes obedience to teachers and parents, acceptance of the community’s traditions.
- 12:2 The antithesis is between the good person who, by reason of that goodness, already has divine acceptance, and the wicked person who, despite great effort, gains only condemnation.
- 12:3 Human beings are described as “made secure” in Jb 21:8; Ps 101:7; 102:29. “Root” in the context means enduring to succeeding generations, as in Mal 3:19 and Jb 8:17.
- 12:4 In Proverbs a crown is the result and sign of wise conduct. A good wife is a public sign of the husband’s shrewd judgment and divine blessing (crown), whereas a bad wife brings him inner pain (rot in the bones).
- 12:5 The opposite of “just” is not injustice but “deceit.” The wicked will be deceived in their plans in the sense that their planning will not succeed.
- 12:6 Words are a favorite theme of Proverbs. The words of the wicked effect harm to others whereas the words of the righteous protect themselves.
- 12:8 The heart, the seat of intelligence, will eventually be revealed in the actions that people do, either for praise or for blame.
- 12:10 The righteous are sympathetically aware of the needs of their livestock and prosper from their herd’s good health. The wicked will pay the price for their self-centeredness and cruelty.
- 12:11 The second line clarifies the first: idleness will give one plenty of nothing. “Lacking sense” is a common phrase for fools.
- 12:12 A difficult, possibly corrupt saying, but there is no good alternative to the Hebrew text. The wicked desire what the malevolent have captured or killed, but their actions will go for naught because they invite punishment. The righteous, on the other hand, will bear fruit.
- 12:14 The saying contrasts words and deeds. “Fruit” here is not what one normally eats, as in 1:31; 8:19; 31:16, 31, but the consequences of one’s actions. In the second line the things that issue from one’s hands (one’s deeds) come back to one in recompense or punishment. Prv 13:2a and 18:20 are variants. Cf. Mt 7:17; Gal 6:8.
- 12:17 What is the rule of thumb for judging legal testimony? Look to the ordinary conduct and daily speech of a witness.
- 12:19 The saying has a double meaning: lies are quickly found out whereas truthful statements endure; truth-tellers, being favored by God, live long lives, whereas liars invite punishment.
- 12:23 “Knowledge” here is “what one knows, has in one’s heart,” not knowledge in general. Fools reveal all they have stored in their heart and it naturally turns out to be folly. Revealing and concealing are constant themes in Proverbs.
Proverbs 12
New International Version
Proverbs 12
New International Version
12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is stupid.(A)
3 No one can be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.(D)
4 A wife of noble character(E) is her husband’s crown,
but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(F)
5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
but the speech of the upright rescues them.(G)
8 A person is praised according to their prudence,
and one with a warped(J) mind is despised.
9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
than pretend to be somebody and have no food.
10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,(K)
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.(L)
12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
but the root of the righteous endures.
14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(O)
and the work of their hands brings them reward.(P)
17 An honest witness tells the truth,
but a false witness tells lies.(V)
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but those who promote peace have joy.(Y)
21 No harm overtakes the righteous,(Z)
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.(AF)
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,(AG)
but a kind word cheers it up.
26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.(AH)
27 The lazy do not roast[a] any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
28 In the way of righteousness there is life;(AI)
along that path is immortality.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:27 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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