“When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more”: “Tempest” renders a word meaning a windstorm, destructive wind, or perhaps a whirlwind. It is used in Job 21.18 and 27.20, which describe the destruction of the wicked by God. “When the tempest passes” is ambiguous in English since it may mean when the storm is happening or after the storm has passed by. This phrase is to be understood as “when a storm blows up,” “when a storm strikes,” or as in Good News Translation “Storms come. . ..” “The wicked is no more” means that the wicked cease to exist, are destroyed, or disappear. The function of the storm image is to express the thought of trouble, destruction, or calamity. Therefore Bible en français courant says “Evil people are overcome by adversity.” We may also say, for example, “Trouble destroys the wicked.”

“But the righteous is established forever”: If we keep the storm or wind image in the first line, we will need to translate “established” as a parallel thought in the second line. See Good News Translation “are always safe.” “Established” translates a noun meaning foundation or base. The sense is that good people, in contrast to the wicked who are destroyed by the wind, are like a solid foundation, and therefore are permanent and unmovable. Most modern translations treat this expression as a clause; for example, New Jerusalem Bible “but the upright stands firm forever” and Revised English Bible “but the righteous are firmly established forever.” Bible en français courant, which replaced the storm image in the first line, says “but the good person always withstands.”

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 .