The theme of this saying is that good behavior brings long life and honor; see also such verses as 3.1-4, 16. The verse is a single sentence.

“He who pursues righteousness and kindness”: The two qualities “righteousness and kindness” sum up a good life. “Righteousness” is the same term as in verse 3; see there for comments, and also 1.3. For “kindness” or “loyalty,” see the comments at 3.3 and 20.28. “He who pursues . . .” means the person who shows or tries to show the two qualities referred to: “. . . who seeks earnestly what is right and kind” (Scott) or “If you try to be kind and good” (Contemporary English Version).

“Will find life and honor”: In many languages it is not natural to use the verb “find” with terms like “life” and “honor” as its objects. The sense here is something like “have,” “receive,” or “experience”; or it may be more natural, for example, to express “find life” as “live a long life” (Good News Translation) and “find . . . honor” as “others will give you a big name.” As the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, the Hebrew text has “life and righteousness and honor,” while the Septuagint omits “and righteousness”; Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends keeping “righteousness” in the text (a “C” rating). This is the same Hebrew term that Revised Standard Version renders as “prosperity” in 8.18; see there for comments. New International Version and Revised English Bible express the last part of this line as “life, prosperity, and honor.” For “honor and righteousness” Good News Translation says, “others will respect you and treat you fairly.”

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 .