PROV 3:31 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.)

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 Μὴ κτήσῃ κακῶν ἀνδρῶν ὀνείδη, μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν.
(Maʸ ktaʸsaʸ kakōn andrōn oneidaʸ, maʸde zaʸlōsaʸs tas hodous autōn. )

ULT Do not be envious of a man of violence,
⇔ and do not choose any of his ways.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Don’t envy the man of violence.
⇔ Choose none of his ways.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Do not envy a violent man,
⇔ and do not choose to imitate any of his ways;

LSV Do not be envious of a man of violence,
Nor fix on any of his ways.

FBV Don't be jealous of violent people—don't choose to follow their example!

T4T ⇔ Do not envy people who obtain things by violent actions,
⇔ and do not imitate/do what they do.

LEB • Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

BBE Have no envy of the violent man, or take any of his ways as an example.

Moff Never envy a high-handed man,
⇔ or choose his methods;

JPS Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

ASV Envy thou not the man of violence,
⇔ And choose none of his ways.

DRA Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:

YLT Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

Drby Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

RV Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.
(Envy thou/you not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways. )

SLT Thou shalt not envy against a man of violence, and thou shalt choose in all his ways.

Wbstr Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

KJB-1769 ¶ Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.[fn]
(¶ Envy thou/you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. )

3.31 the oppressor: Heb. a man of violence

KJB-1611 ¶ [fn]Enuie thou not the oppressour, and choose none of his wayes.
(¶ Enuie thou/you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.)

3:31 Hebr. a man of violence.

Bshps Folowe not a wicked man, and chose none of his wayes:
(Follow not a wicked man, and chose none of his ways:)

Gnva Bee not enuious for the wicked man, neither chuse any of his wayes.
(Be not envious for the wicked man, neither choose any of his ways. )

Cvdl Folowe not a wicked man, and chose none of his wayes:
(Follow not a wicked man, and chose none of his ways:)

Wycl Sue thou not an vniust man, sue thou not hise weies.
(Pursue thou/you not an unjust man, sue thou/you not his ways.)

Luth Eifre nicht einem Freveln nach und erwähle seiner Wege keinen.
(Eifre not on sacrilegen after and choose his ways none.)

ClVg Ne æmuleris hominem injustum, nec imiteris vias ejus:
(Don't æmuleris man unjust, but_not imiteris ways/roads his: )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:21–35: Fourth lesson: Be a good neighbor and do not behave like a wicked person

The father started this lesson by exhorting his son to always use sound judgment, because then he would have nothing to fear (3:21–26). He then told his son what to avoid in order to be a good neighbor. He advised him to not follow the behavior of wicked people (3:27–31). The lesson ends with a series of contrasts between the way that the LORD will treat the righteous and the wicked (3:32–35).

Another heading for this section is:

How to be a good neighbor

3:31

Notice the parallel commands. There is an implied progression from an attitude in 3:31a to an action in 3:31b.

^31aDo not envy a violent man

^31bor choose any of his ways;

3:31b

or choose any of his ways;

and do not follow^(sing) their example/behavior,
and do not decide to act like they do.

3:31a–b

Do not envy…or choose any of his ways: In this context, it is implied that the violent person commits crime in order to gain wealth. The son is admonished to not envy or be jealous of such a person. He should not desire to possess for himself the wealth or social status of a rich criminal.

The parallel command or choose any of his ways indicates that he should not decide to follow any of the rich criminal’s wicked behavior.

Some other ways to translate these parallel commands are:

Don’t be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do. (GNT)

Don’t be jealous of those who use violence, and don’t choose to be like them. (NCV)

3:31a

Do not envy a violent man

Do not be^(sing) envious of violent/lawless people who have become prosperous,
Do not desire for yourself the wealth of criminals,

a violent man: The word that the BSB and most versions translate as violent often refers to someone who uses physical brutality (CEV has “cruel”). But it may also refer to anyone who breaks the law. For example, both the NJPS and NAB have:

lawless man (NAB, NJPS)

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בְּ⁠אִ֣ישׁ חָמָ֑ס

of,a_person_of violence/cruelty

Here Solomon is using the possessive form to describe a man who is characterized by violence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “of a violent man”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

בְּ⁠אִ֣ישׁ

of,a_person_of

Here, man represents a person in general, not one particular man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an expression that would be more natural in your language. Alternate translation: “of any person of”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

דְּרָכָֽי⁠ו

ways_of,his

Here Solomon uses ways to refer to the behavior of a man of violence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the things he does”

Parallel PROV 3:31

Section 3:21–35: Fourth lesson: Be a good neighbor and do not behave like a wicked person

3:31

3:31b

3:31a–b

3:31a