PROV 11:18 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) A wicked person can make a living from telling lies,
⇔ ^ but someone who sows goodness gets a genuine wage.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Ἀσεβὴς ποιεῖ ἔργα ἄδικα, σπέρμα δὲ δικαίων μισθὸς ἀληθείας.
(Asebaʸs poiei erga adika, sperma de dikaiōn misthos alaʸtheias. )

BrTr An ungodly man performs unrighteous works: but the seed of the righteous is a reward of truth.

ULT A wicked one makes a wage of falsehood,
⇔ but one sowing righteousness, a wage of truth.

UST People who act wickedly falsely believe that they have gained something good,
⇔ but God truly rewards people who do what is right.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

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

WMBB (Same as above)

NET The wicked person earns deceitful wages,
⇔ but the one who sows righteousness reaps a genuine reward.

LSV The wicked is getting a lying wage,
And whoever is sowing righteousness—a true reward.

FBV The wicked earn wages that cheat them,[fn] but those who sow goodness reap a genuine reward.

11:18 “Wages that cheat them”: literally “gain of deception.”

T4T ⇔ If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them because they will not keep it for very long,
⇔ but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded by God forever.

LEB • The wicked earns[fn] deceptive gain ,[fn] but he who sows righteousness, a true reward .[fn]

11:? Or “does, makes”

11:? Literally “gain of deception”

11:? Literally “a reward of truth”

BBE The sinner gets the payment of deceit; but his reward is certain who puts in the seed of righteousness.

Moff It is not real, what a bad man gains;
⇔ but goodness yields a lasting profit.

JPS The wicked earneth deceitful wages; but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.

ASV The wicked earneth deceitful wages;
⇔ But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.

DRA The wicked maketh an unsteady work: but to him that soweth justice, there is a faithful reward.

YLT The wicked is getting a lying wage, And whoso is sowing righteousness — a true reward.

Drby The wicked worketh a deceitful work; but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.

RV The wicked earneth deceitful wages: but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.
(The wicked earneth deceitful wages: but he that soweth/sows righteousness hath/has a sure reward. )

SLT The unjust one did a work of falsehood: and the seed of justice the reward of truth.

Wbstr The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

KJB-1769 The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
(The wicked worketh/works a deceitful work: but to him that soweth/sows righteousness shall be a sure reward. )

KJB-1611 The wicked worketh a deceitfull worke: but to him that soweth righteousnesse, shall be a sure reward.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps The vngodly worketh deceiptfull workes: but he that soweth righteousnesse shall receaue a sure rewarde.
(The ungodly worketh/works deceitful works: but he that soweth/sows righteousness shall receive a sure reward.)

Gnva The wicked worketh a deceitful worke: but hee that soweth righteousnes, shall receiue a sure rewarde.
(The wicked worketh/works a deceitful work: but he that soweth/sows righteousness, shall receive a sure reward. )

Cvdl The laboure of the vngodly prospereth not, but he that soweth rightuosnes, shal receaue a sure rewarde.
(The labour of the ungodly prospereth not, but he that soweth/sows rightuosnes, shall receive a sure reward.)

Wycl A wickid man makith vnstable werk; but feithful mede is to hym, that sowith riytfulnesse.
(A wicked man maketh/makes unstable werk; but faithful mede is to him, that soweth/sows rightfulness/righteousness.)

Luth Der GOttlosen Arbeit wird fehlen; aber wer Gerechtigkeit säet, das ist gewiß Gut.
(The godless_one(s) work/job becomes miss/lack; but who justice sows, the is certainly good_(one).)

ClVg Impius facit opus instabile, seminanti autem justitiam merces fidelis.
(Impius he_does work/need instabile, they_sowi however justice reward/wages faithful. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.UBS (page 214), Fox (page 509), McKane (page 413). Many scholars, including McKane, point out that there are some topical groupings as well as poetic connections. These include the repetition of certain words or sounds. This observation does not deny the individual nature of most of the proverbs in this Section.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you^(sing), you^(plur), we^(dual), or we^(incl). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

The Wise Words of Solomon (NCV)

Here are many wise things that Solomon said

11:18

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^18a The wicked man earns an empty wage,

^18bbut he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

11:18a

The wicked man earns an empty wage,

There is no real gain/benefit for a person who is wicked,
What a wicked person actually gets/gains is not what he expected,

The wicked man earns an empty wage: The word that the BSB translates as empty is literally “false” or “deceptive.” This expression is figurative. It means that the results or benefits that the wicked person actually gains from his actions are not what he expects. He expects lasting happiness and prosperity. Instead, any benefits that he gains are temporary and disappointing.

Unless your language can use wage in a figurative sense, it is suggested that you translate the meaning directly. For example:

What a wicked person gains is actually worthless.

11:18b

but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

but a righteous person is sure to be rewarded.
but the reward of a person who does what is right is both certain and genuine.

but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward: The words sows and reaps have a figurative meaning here. The phrase sows righteousness means “does what is right or just.” The Hebrew phrase that the BSB translates literally as true reward indicates that the righteous person will certainly be rewarded and that the reward will be genuine.

In some languages, the figurative ideas of sowing/planting righteousness and reaping/harvesting a reward may not express the meaning clearly. If that is true in your language, it may be better to translate without using figures of speech. For example:

but if you do what is right, you are certain to be rewarded (GNT)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

רָשָׁ֗ע

wicked

See how you translated this phrase in [9:7](../09/07.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר & שֶׂ֣כֶר אֱמֶֽת

wages_of deceptive & reward_of true

In this verse, Solomon is using possessive forms to describe a wage that is characterized by falsehood and to describe a wage that is characterized by truth. If your language would not use the possessive form for this, you could use different expressions. Alternate translation: “a false wage … a true wage”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר & שֶׂ֣כֶר אֱמֶֽת

wages_of deceptive & reward_of true

Here Solomon speaks of results or rewards as if they were a wage someone receives. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a false reward … a true reward”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וְ⁠זֹרֵ֥עַ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה שֶׂ֣כֶר אֱמֶֽת

and,[one_who]_sows righteousness reward_of true

Solomon is leaving out a word that in many languages a clause would need in order to be complete. You could supply this word from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “but one who sows righteousness makes a wage of truth”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠זֹרֵ֥עַ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה

and,[one_who]_sows righteousness

Here Solomon refers to doing righteous deeds as if one were sowing seeds in a field. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “but one who does righteous deeds”

Parallel PROV 11:18

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

11:18

11:18a

11:18b