“What the wicked dreads will come upon him”: The contrast in the lines of this verse is between the anticipation of the two kinds of people. “Dreads” means to fear intensely something that has not yet happened. The wicked person lives in fear that he will come to a bad end. In some languages this idea is best expressed, for example, “Wicked people fear something will happen to them and it does” or “What wicked people fear most is the thing that happens to them.”

“But the desire of the righteous will be granted”: “Desire” is used here in the good sense of wishing for or wanting something. “The righteous” is plural in this line, and “the wicked” is singular in the first line. But while these are contrasting parallels, they are not meant to contrast on the basis of number. “Will be granted” may be understood as impersonal (“someone gives”) or as meaning that the Lord is the one who gives. In some languages the person granting the desire must be expressed, for example, “But the Lord will give to the good the things they want.” In others the line can be expressed simply as “But good people will receive [get] what they desire.”

Good News Translation has reversed the order of the lines in this verse, so that the reward of “the righteous” comes first and then the bad end of “the wicked”. This may be a more natural progression of thought in some languages.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .