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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Prov C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31
Prov 28 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28
OET (OET-LV) one_who_walks blameless he_will_be_delivered and_one_who_is_crooked_of two_ways he_will_fall at_one.
OET (OET-RV) The person with blameless behaviour will be rescued,
⇔ ^ but the crooked one will suddenly fall.
This section is the second collection of Solomon’s proverbs. These proverbs were organized and copied by men who served King Hezekiah. Most scholars divide this section into two groups. These groups differ in several ways.
The first group (chapters 25–27) has many more comparisons and admonitions. In Hebrew, most of these comparisons are metaphors in which one or more illustrations precede the topic. Some English versions change the order so that the topic precedes the illustration(s). You should follow the order that expresses the meaning naturally and effectively in your language.
In the first group, many proverbs are one verse long. As with the individual proverbs in the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (Section 10:1–22:16), they are not related to the proverbs around them. Other proverbs in this group are two or more verses long. Still others are one-verse proverbs that are closely related in theme. Proverbs in all three categories will be marked as separate paragraphs.
The second group (chapters 28–29) has more contrastive proverbs. The proverbs in this group are each one verse long. They will not be marked as separate paragraphs.
Some other headings for this section are:
More Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)
Proverbs of Solomon Collected by Hezekiah (NET)
These are also wise things that Solomon said
This proverb describes the contrasting consequences (bold print) that are experienced by people who have contrasting conduct (underlined).
18a He who walks with integrity will be kept safe,
18bbut whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
He who walks with integrity will be kept safe,
A person who follows a blameless way of life will be safe,
If no one can blame you(sing) for doing wrong, Yahweh will protect/deliver you from harm/danger.
Innocent/Honest people have no reason to be afraid of harm,
He who walks with integrity: This phrase refers to the kind of person who consistently does what is right. He does nothing that is worthy of blame. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
If a person’s life has nothing worthy of blame
He whose walk is blameless (NIV)
will be kept safe: This phrase means that a person with integrity will be delivered or protected by the LORD. He will be safe from harm. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
will be safe (NRSV)
will be delivered (ESV)
the LORD will protect him from harm
In some languages, it may be more natural to express this meaning differently. For example:
has no reason to be afraid
but whoever is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
but a person who follows crooked paths will suddenly fall down.
If you(sing) are crooked/dishonest, you will suddenly be ruined.
but people who deceive others will experience sudden disaster.
but whoever is perverse in his ways: In Hebrew, the word perverse is literally “crooked.” This phrase refers to someone who is dishonest and deceives other people.The full Hebrew phrase is “crooked of two ways.” The Notes discuss the most common interpretation of this phrase. However, the NJB has “whoever wavers between two ways.” No other versions follow this interpretation, so the issue has not been discussed in the body of the Notes. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
If you are dishonest (GNT)
Whoever follows crooked ways (NRSV)
will suddenly fall: There is a textual issue here:
The Hebrew text (MT) has: he will fall “at one,” that is, suddenly. For example:
will fall all at once (GW) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GW, KJV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJPS, NLT, GNT)Most versions understand the MT for this phrase to mean “at once” or “suddenly.” The Notes do not list the NJB under this textual option, since its translation “falls down in one of them” refers to one of the ways, not “at once.”
The Syriac text has “he will fall into a/the pit. For example:
will fall into the Pit (NRSV) (NIV11, NRSV, REB)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions.
This line is a metaphor. In this metaphor, a dishonest person who suddenly meets disaster is compared to a person who stumbles and falls when he walks on a crooked path. Some ways to translate this metaphor are:
Keep the metaphor. For example:
but a person who walks on crooked paths will suddenly stumble and fall
Keep part of the metaphor. For example:
but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed (NLT)
If you are dishonest, you will suddenly fall. (GNT)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
but a dishonest person is like a person who follows a crooked path and suddenly stumbles
Translate the meaning directly. For example:
but those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined (NCV)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ & וְנֶעְקַ֥שׁ
walks & and,[one_who_is]_crooked_of
The phrases One who walks and one who is crooked refer to types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “Any person who walks … but any person who is crooked”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ תָּ֭מִים
walks entire/complete/moral
Here Solomon refers to someone behaving in a blameless manner as if that person walks blameless. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated a similar use of “walk” in [3:23](../03/23.md). Alternate translation: “One who conducts his life in a blameless manner”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
יִוָּשֵׁ֑עַ
safe
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The context implies that Yahweh will do the action. Alternate translation: “Yahweh will save”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
וְנֶעְקַ֥שׁ דְּ֝רָכַ֗יִם
and,[one_who_is]_crooked_of ways
See how you translated one crooked of ways in [28:6](../28/06.md).
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
יִפּ֥וֹל
fall
See how you translated the same use of fall in [11:5](../11/05.md).
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
בְּאֶחָֽת
at,one
Here, in one could refer to: (1) falling in one moment, which emphasizes the suddenness of falling. Alternate translation: “at once” (2) falling into one of this person’s crooked ways. Alternate translation: “into one of those ways”
OET (OET-LV) one_who_walks blameless he_will_be_delivered and_one_who_is_crooked_of two_ways he_will_fall at_one.
OET (OET-RV) The person with blameless behaviour will be rescued,
⇔ ^ but the crooked one will suddenly fall.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.