PRO 16:8 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. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. 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=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: red:negative.
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 ὁ ζητῶν τὸν Κύριον εὑρήσει γνῶσιν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, οἱ δὲ ὀρθῶς ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν εὑρήσουσιν εἰρήνην.
(ho zaʸtōn ton Kurion heuraʸsei gnōsin meta dikaiosunaʸs, hoi de orthōs zaʸtountes auton heuraʸsousin eiraʸnaʸn. )

BrTr He that seeks the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness: and they that rightly seek him shall find peace.

ULT Better is a little with righteousness
⇔ than an abundance of produce with no justice.

UST It is better for someone to have a few things while being righteous,
⇔ than for someone to have a lot of crops while being unjust.

BSB ⇔ Better a little with righteousness
⇔ than great gain with injustice.

OEB Better a little, with righteousness.
⇔ than great revenues with injustice.

WEBBE Better is a little with righteousness,
⇔ than great revenues with injustice.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Better to have a little with righteousness
⇔ than to have abundant income without justice.

LSV Better [is] a little with righteousness,
Than abundance of increase without justice.

FBV Better to have just a little and be honest than to have a lot and be dishonest.

T4T ⇔ It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly
⇔ than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.

LEB • than great income with no justice.

BBE Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing.

Moff No Moff PRO book available

JPS Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

ASV Better is a little, with righteousness,
⇔ Than great revenues with injustice.

DRA Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.

YLT Better [is] a little with righteousness, Than abundance of increase without justice.

Drby Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.

RV Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

Wbstr Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.

KJB-1769 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

KJB-1611 [fn]Better is a little with righteousnesse, then great reuenewes without right.
(Better is a little with righteousness, then great reuenewes without right.)

16:8 Psal. 37. 16. chap. 15. 16.

Bshps Better it is to haue a litle with ryghteousnesse, then great rentes wrongfully gotten.
(Better it is to have a little with righteousnesse, then great rentes wrongfully gotten.)

Gnva Better is a litle with righteousnesse, then great reuenues without equitie.
(Better is a little with righteousness, then great reuenues without equitie. )

Cvdl Better is it to haue a litle thinge wt rightuousnes, the greate rentes wrongeously gotten.
(Better is it to have a little thing with rightuousnes, the great rentes wrongeously gotten.)

Wycl Betere is a litil with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickidnesse.
(Betere is a little with riytfulnesse, than many fruytis with wickednesse.)

Luth Es ist besser wenig mit Gerechtigkeit denn viel Einkommens mit Unrecht.
(It is better wenig with Gerechtigkeit because many Einkommens with Unrecht.)

ClVg Melius est parum cum justitia quam multi fructus cum iniquitate.[fn]
(Melius it_is parum when/with justitia how multi fructus when/with iniquitate. )

16.8 Melius est parum cum justitia, etc. Melius est in simplici conversatione Deo servire devote, quam multis abundare virtutibus, et proximorum facta despicere.

16.8 Melius it_is parum when/with justitia, etc. Melius it_is in simplici conversatione Deo servire devote, how multis abundare virtutibus, and proximorum facts despicere.

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Wealth and Poverty in the Wisdom Literature

The sayings in Scripture about wealth and poverty, particularly in the wisdom literature, are individual snapshots of a broad truth: God blesses the wise with wealth (3:9-10, 15-16; 10:22), making life’s difficulties more manageable (10:15), while foolish behavior—especially laziness—leads to poverty (see 10:4).

The book of Proverbs readily acknowledges that some wicked fools are wealthy, but it also reminds us that this kind of wealth will not last long (11:18; 13:11). Poverty can sometimes result from injustice (13:23) rather than foolishness, and wealth sometimes comes from injustice and dishonesty (16:8). Those who have wealth need to use it wisely, which includes generosity to those in need (28:27; 29:7, 14).

The benefits of wealth are limited. Occasionally, wealth produces problems rather than solving them (11:4; 13:8). Because wisdom can help where wealth cannot, wisdom is much more important than money (15:16-17; 16:8, 16).

All things being equal, the godly will be rewarded with material blessings and the opportunity to be generous. However, all things are not equal. Sometimes wealth does not go to the deserving (see Eccl 9:11), nor does it necessarily produce satisfaction (see Eccl 2:17-23; 5:10-17). In fact, money can be detrimental to faith (1 Tim 6:10; Jas 2:1-13). When a choice must be made between godliness and money, the wise will choose godliness.

Passages for Further Study

Deut 6:10-13; 8:10-11; 1 Sam 2:7; Ps 37:16; Prov 3:9-10, 15-16; 10:15, 22; 11:4, 18, 28; 13:8, 11; 14:24; 15:6, 16-17; 16:8, 16; 23:4-5; 28:27; 29:7, 14; Eccl 5:10-17; 1 Tim 6:10

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

טוֹב־מְ֭עַט בִּ⁠צְדָקָ֑ה מֵ⁠רֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּ⁠לֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

good a_little in/on/at/with,righteousness than,great income in/on/at/with,no (Some words not found in UHB: good a_little in/on/at/with,righteousness than,great income in/on/at/with,no justice )

The author assumes that his readers will understand that a little refers to the person having the things needed to maintain life. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: "It is better for a person to have a little of what they need with righteousness than for a person to have an abundance of produce with no justice" or "A person who has a little of what they need with righteousness is better off than a person who has an abundance of produce with no justice."

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

טוֹב־מְ֭עַט

good a_little

See how you translated this phrase in 15:16.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בִּ⁠צְדָקָ֑ה

in/on/at/with,righteousness

Here Solomon refers to being righteous as if that righteousness were an object that someone could have with a little. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “while having righteousness” or “while being righteous”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מֵ⁠רֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּ⁠לֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט

than,great income in/on/at/with,no justice

See how you translated an abundance of produce in 14:4 and no justice in 13:23.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

בְּ⁠לֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט

in/on/at/with,no justice

Here Solomon refers to a lack of justice as if justice were an object that someone did not have with an abundance of produce. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and not having justice” or “while having no justice”

Parallel PRO 16:8