10:2

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

2a
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing,

2b but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

This proverb states a general principle. In some languages, it may be more natural to talk about “a person” or “people” who gain wealth dishonestly or who are righteous. For example:

A person who becomes rich dishonestly will not benefit from his wealth, but a righteous person will be rescued from death.

In other languages, it may be more natural to use a pronoun such as “you” or “we.” For example:

If you(sing/plur) get rich as a result of doing what is wrong, your(sing/plur) wealth will not benefit you(sing/plur).
-or-
If we(dual/incl) get rich as a result of doing what is wrong, our(dual/incl) wealth will not benefit us(dual/incl).

For this kind of proverb, the meaning lines in the Display will often give only one pronoun choice, for example, “you(sing) ” or “we(incl.).” Use a form in your language that is natural for proverbs that state a general principle. Also see the translation advice on the use of “if” clauses in the General Comment on 1:7a–b.

10:2a

Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing: The phrase Ill-gotten treasures refers to any wealth that a person has obtained wrongly or illegally. The phrase profit nothing does not refer to the actual monetary value of the wealth. It refers to the lasting benefit that a person will get from it. Some other ways to translate this line are:

What you gain by doing evil won’t help you at all (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Riches that a person gets by doing wrong have no lasting value
-or-
No good comes of ill-gotten wealth (Revised English Bible)

10:2b

but righteousness brings deliverance from death: This identical clause is found in 11:4b. In this clause, righteousness is personified. It is described as someone who performs an action.

The clause means that a person who does what is right will be rescued from death. It is implied that the LORD is the one who rescues the person. In some languages, this may need to be made explicit. For example:

but as for the person who does what is right, ⌊the LORD⌋ will save him from death

righteousness: In Hebrew, this word refers here to right or just conduct according to God’s law. See the note on “righteousness” in 8:18b.

brings deliverance from death: In this context, brings deliverance from death probably indicates that a person will be spared/rescued from a premature death. But it may also indicate that he will be given life after death. If possible, you should translate in such a way that your readers can understand either interpretation.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

13:7

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

7a One pretends to be rich, but has nothing ;

7b another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

This proverb refers to people who give false impressions about their wealth or poverty. It teaches that a person’s true situation may be quite different from what it seems to be. So people should not be deceived by outward appearances or circumstances.

13:7a–b

One pretends to be rich, but has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth: The phrases has nothing and has great wealth are examples of hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration for the sake of emphasis).

Verse 13:7a means that some people pretend to be rich, but actually have very little. They are actually poor. It does not mean that they literally own nothing. Verse 13:7b means that some people pretend to be poor, but actually they are rich.

In some languages, a literal translation of these hyperboles may express the wrong meaning. Another way to translate the verse without these figures of speech is:

Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor. (New Living Translation (2004))

Notice that the New Living Translation (2004) also changes the word order within the two clauses. You should use whatever order is more natural in your language.

Many languages have idioms for people who are rich and people who are poor. You may be able to use such idioms to add vividness or emphasis to this proverb, especially if you decide not to use hyperbole.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

14:14

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

14a
The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways,

14b but a good man is rewarded for his ways.

In Hebrew, the second line has no verb, so there is no actual contrast in the words that are used. But the context clearly implies that the “backslider in heart” and the “good man” will experience different consequences for their actions.

14:14a

The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as backslider in heart refers to a person who has turned away from following the LORD or from following the right way. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

The faithless (New International Version)
-or-
Renegades (Revised English Bible)
-or-
People who turn away from the LORD

receives the fill of his own ways: The Hebrew verb that is used here is passive, literally “will be filled.” Some English versions translate it with a passive verb. For example:

will be fully repaid for their ways (New International Version)

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

get what they deserve (Good News Translation)
-or-
suffer the consequences of what they have done
-or-
be punished for their deeds

14:14b

but a good man is rewarded for his ways: Many English versions begin this verse part with the word “and.” However, if you use a verb with an undesirable meaning, such as “punished,” in 14:14a, it may be more natural to begin 14:14b with but, as the Berean Standard Bible does. Connect these lines in a way that naturally expresses in your language the relationship between them.

General Comment on 14:14a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. See 14:14a–b (combined/reordered) in the Display.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

15:11

In this verse, 15:11b gives a conclusion based on 15:11a. Since 15:11a is true, it is even more obvious that 15:11b is true.

11a Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—

11b how much more the hearts of men!

See 11:31 for a list of other verses in Proverbs that have this kind of reasoning.

15:11a–b

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD—how much more the hearts of men!: The implied reasoning here is as follows:

(a) The LORD ⌊is able to do something that is very difficult. He⌋ observes everything that happens in the ⌊hidden⌋ world of the dead.

(b) So ⌊obviously⌋ he is even more able ⌊to do something that is easier. He can look into⌋ the hearts (minds) of ⌊living⌋ people ⌊with whom he frequently communicates⌋ .

In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of the implied reasoning explicit. Some English versions make the contrast between the dead and the living explicit. For example:

11a The Lord knows what is happening in the world of the dead,

11b so he surely knows the thoughts of the living. (New Century Version)

15:11a

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD: The words that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Sheol and Abaddon are both names in the OT for the world/place of the dead. The name Abaddon comes from a word that means “to perish.” It has the connotation “place of destruction.”

lie open before: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as lie open before means “are in front of” or “are in full view of.” So the whole line means that the LORD observes or knows everything that happens in the place of the dead.

There are several ways to translate these names. It is suggested that you add a footnote with any of these options:

• Keep the names. Use whatever spelling is appropriate for your language. For example:

Sheol and Abaddon (Revised Standard Version)

A suggested footnote is:

Sheol and Abaddon are two names in the OT for the world/place of the dead.

• Use two terms that give the meaning of the names. Capitalize these terms if it will help your readers understand that these are places rather than abstract nouns. For example:

Death and Destruction (New Living Translation (2004))

A suggested footnote is:

What is written in Hebrew is: “Sheol and Abaddon.” These were two names for the world/place of the dead. The meaning of Abaddon is Destruction.

• Combine the two names into one general expression, since they both refer to the same place. For example:

the world of the dead (Good News Translation)

A suggested footnote is:

What is written in Hebrew is “Sheol and Abaddon.” These were two names for the world of the dead.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

16:10–15

These verses all deal with the topic of kings, except for 16:11. They describe an ideal king, who rules as the representative of the LORD. If the title of “king” is not known in your language, some other ways to translate this word are:

• Use a title for a leader of similar status. For example:

chief

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

highest leader/ruler

16:10

Both lines of this proverb are about a king’s words. The second line gives the implied result of the first line.

10a A divine verdict is on the lips of a king ;

10b
his mouth must not betray justice.

16:10a

A divine verdict is on the lips of a king: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as divine verdict usually refers to divination, the false practice of obtaining information from the gods. Here it is used in a good sense. It indicates that the king speaks as the LORD’s representative. It means that when he makes official statements as king, he speaks with authority from the LORD. Some other ways to translate the meaning of this line are:

A king’s words are like a message from the LORD
-or-
The king speaks with divine authority (Good News Translation)

16:10b

his mouth must not betray justice: In Hebrew, this line is literally “his mouth does not act unfaithfully in judgment/justice.” This seems to contradict the behavior of actual kings, so some versions have translated this line as a statement of obligation. Here are the two interpretations:

(1) This line describes how an ideal king behaves : He does not act unfairly when he gives an official verdict. For example:

he does not err when he passes sentence (Revised English Bible)
-or-
his decisions are always right (Good News Translation)

(2) This line describes how a king ought to behave : He should not act unfairly when he gives an official verdict. For example:

he must never judge unfairly (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions. The other verses in this section are worded as a description of an ideal king. They are not worded as advice to a king. If this is not clear to your readers, you may want to add a footnote. For example:

16:10-15 These verses describe an ideal/perfect king (cf. John 5:27–30). They do not mean that actual human kings cannot make mistakes.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

17:9

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

9a
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,

9b but he who brings it up separates friends.

17:9a

Whoever conceals an offense: This phrase is similar to the phrase used in 10:12b. See the note there. It refers to a person who overlooks, excuses or forgives an offense or sin that another person commits against him. It is also implied from 17:9b that when a person forgives another person’s offense, he keeps quiet about it.

promotes love: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “seeks love.” It indicates that the person who covers over an offense wants to create or preserve a friendship or loving relationship with the other person. Some other ways to translate 17:9a are:

You will keep your friends if you forgive them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. (Good News Translation)

17:9b

but he who brings it up separates friends: The phrase brings it up is ambiguous. It may indicate that:

(1) Someone reminds the offender of his offense. For example:

if you remind them of what they did wrong, you will destroy your friendship

(2) Someone gossips about the offender’s offense to others. For example:

but gossiping about the sin breaks up friendships (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you translate in a way that will allow either meaning, as the Berean Standard Bible and Contemporary English Version have done. For example:

you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong (Contemporary English Version)

If you cannot maintain this ambiguity in your language, you may translate either of the more specific meanings. Both fit the context well.

For the phrase separates friends, see the note on 16:28a–b.

© 2012, 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.