“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls”: The warning “Do not rejoice” means “don’t be happy” (Contemporary English Version), don’t take pleasure, because of what happens to someone else. For “enemy” see 16.7. “Falls” is the same word as in verse 15 and is used in the same sense: “when your enemies meet disaster” (Good News Translation).

“And let not your heart be glad when he stumbles”: “Let not your heart be glad” has the same sense as “Do not rejoice” in the previous line. “When he stumbles” matches “when your enemy falls”. “Stumbles” is the same word as used in verse 16. Because the sense of the two lines is very similar, Contemporary English Version combines them: “Don’t be happy to see your enemies trip and fall down.”

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 .