“Do they not err that devise evil?”: This is one of the few sayings in Proverbs expressed in the form of a question. The question is rhetorical, and the effect of the question form is to make the saying emphatic. “Err” renders a verb that means “go astray,” “take the wrong road,” or “wander off.” The same word is used in 7.25 where the young man is warned not to “stray” into the path of the seductive woman. For “devise evil” see 6.14. In some languages it may be desirable to express this line as an emphatic statement rather than in the form of a question; for example, “People who plan to do bad things go astray in their thinking.”

“Those who devise good meet loyalty and faithfulness”: “Those who devise good” parallels and contrasts with “they . . . that devise evil” in the previous line. To “devise good” means to make a clear decision to do what is good, just as to “devise evil” is to plan, scheme, or decide to do what is bad. This line is literally “but mercy and truth devisers of good.” The verb “meet” is supplied by Revised Standard Version. The sense of the line seems to be that the good person’s conduct is equivalent to the qualities of loyalty and faithfulness, or is characterized by these qualities. For “loyalty and faithfulness” refer to 3.3. Translators differ considerably in the expression of these ideas. New English Bible/Revised English Bible have “Do not those who intend evil go astray, while those with good intentions are loyal and faithful?” Bible en français courant says in line 2 “People with good intentions act with goodness and loyalty.” Good News Translation uses two “if” clauses and translates “loyalty and faithfulness” as “trust and respect of others.” Good News Translation also reverses the order of the two clauses.

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 .