This saying contrasts the feelings of good or righteous people and those of wicked people about the execution of justice. The second line adds the element of contrast to the straightforward statement of the first line.

“When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous”: “When justice is done” is literally “doing judgment.” Some interpreters take the line to mean that “the righteous” are happy (“it is a joy”) when they themselves act in a just or fair way. Others take it to mean that when “justice” is upheld in the community, perhaps by the punishment of “evildoers”, “the righteous” are glad (because that is what they want). “When justice is done” clearly gives this second meaning in English; to express the other possible sense, we must say something like “Doing what is right. . .” (New Jerusalem Bible).

“But dismay to evildoers”: In Hebrew this line is identical to the second line of 10.29. See the comments there. By itself this line is only part of a sentence; it is the counterpart or contrast to “a joy to the righteous” in the previous line. The Hebrew term rendered “dismay” means “terror,” “destruction,” or “ruin.” As an opposite to “joy” it expresses the feeling of “terror” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) that evildoers may have when they see right behavior upheld and wrong behavior punished. Contemporary English Version expresses it in a more colloquial way in English: “crooks are terrified.” Another possible sense for this line is that “it means destruction for evildoers,” because this is the outcome of justice being done. Scott translates “this spells ruin for evildoers.”

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 .