Proverbs 11

1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but accurate weights are his delight.

2 When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

4 Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.

7 When a wicked man dies, hope perishes, and expectation of power comes to nothing.

8 A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place.

9 With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.

10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.

11 By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12 One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

13 One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.

14 Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

15 He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

16 A gracious woman obtains honor, but violent men obtain riches.

17 The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

18 Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19 He who is truly righteous gets life. He who pursues evil gets death.

20 Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.

21 Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24 There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

25 The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

26 People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.

28 He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

29 He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.

31 Behold, the righteous shall be repaid on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

Around Proverbs 11

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

About Proverbs as a whole · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this book is about

Two voices call from the high places of a city, and both want the same passers-by. “Wisdom has built her house”, the ninth chapter says. She has set her table and sent out her maidens, and she calls the simple to leave their simple ways. Across the street, a loud and undisciplined woman, Folly, sits at her door and calls the very same crowd.

That picture captures the whole book. Proverbs gathers short sayings and longer poems about living wisely. Its starting point is that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” It contrasts the wise and the foolish in speech, work, money, friendship, marriage and the raising of children.

In the opening chapters wisdom is pictured as a woman calling out in the streets. The book ends with a poem in praise of a capable wife.

Background

Most of the sayings are linked with Solomon. Others are credited to Agur, to King Lemuel and to unnamed wise teachers, and one section was copied by officials of King Hezekiah about two centuries after Solomon (25:1). Similar collections of wisdom are known from Egypt and Mesopotamia.

How Christians read it

A proverb states what is generally true, not a guarantee for every case. Reading the sayings as promises leads to disappointment, and the books of Job and Ecclesiastes show the exceptions. The New Testament speaks of Christ as the wisdom of God, and many Christians read the figure of wisdom in chapter 8 in that light.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes