Both lines of this verse say much the same thing. Because of this Contemporary English Version has translated the two lines as one: “When the wicked die, their hopes die with them.”

“When the wicked dies, his hope perishes”: The terms rendered “hope” and “expectation” (in the next line) are the same terms used in 10.28. However, Revised Standard Version has translated each Hebrew term once as “hope” and once as “expectation.” The two terms are very close in meaning. “Hope” is the expectation of happiness. “Perishes” means to die, come to an end, be destroyed.

“And the expectation of the godless comes to nought”: “Godless”, which means evil people, is the Revised Standard Version’s understanding of a Hebrew word that has been given numerous interpretations. Without changing the vowels or consonants of the Hebrew word, interpreters have suggested such meanings as “strength” or “sorrow,” and several modern versions prefer “riches.” “Comes to nought” repeats the same verb rendered “perishes” in the first line. This line may be translated as in Revised Standard Version or by following one of the modern versions; for example, Revised English Bible “and any expectation of affluence ends” or New Jerusalem Bible “hope placed in riches comes to nothing.”

Bible en français courant renders the whole verse “The death of the wicked destroys all his hopes, particularly those he put in riches.”

This is a good model, as is the option of following Contemporary English Version in combining the two lines into one.

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 .