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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

¹ A ^(C1)false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
But a ^(C2)just weight is His delight.

² When ^(C1)pride comes, then comes dishonor;
But with the humble there is wisdom.

³ The ^(C1)integrity of the upright will guide them,
But the ^(C2)perversity of the treacherous will destroy them.

^4 (C1)Riches do not benefit on the day of wrath,
But ^(C2)righteousness rescues from death.

⁵ The ^(C1)righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But ^(C2)the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

⁶ The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will ^(C1)be caught by their own greed.

⁷ When a wicked person dies, his ^(C1)expectation will perish,
And the ^(C2)hope of strong people perishes.

⁸ The righteous is rescued from trouble,
But the wicked ^(F1)takes his place.

⁹ With his ^(C1)mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the ^(C2)righteous will be rescued.

¹⁰ When things ^(C1)go well for the righteous, the city rejoices,
And when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the wicked, it is torn down.

¹² One who despises his neighbor lacks ^(F1)sense,
But a person of understanding keeps silent.

¹³ One ^(C1)who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
But one who is ^(F1)trustworthy ^(C2)conceals a matter.

¹⁴ Where there is no ^(C1)guidance the people fall,
But in an abundance of counselors there is ^(F1)victory.

¹⁵ One who is a ^(C1)guarantor for a stranger will certainly suffer for it,
But one who hates ^(F1)being a guarantor is secure.

¹⁶ A ^(C1)gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.

¹⁷ A ^(C1)merciful person does ^(F1)himself good,
But the cruel person ^(F2)does himself harm.

¹⁸ A wicked person earns deceptive wages,
But one who ^(C1)sows righteousness gets a true reward.

¹⁹ One who is steadfast in ^(C1)righteousness attains life,
But ^(C2)one who pursues evil attains his own death.

²⁰ The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD,
But the ^(C1)blameless in their ^(F1)walk are His ^(C2)delight.

^21 (F1)Be assured, the evil person will not go unpunished,
But the ^(F2)descendants of the righteous will be rescued.

²² As a ^(C1)ring of gold in a pig's snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

²³ The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the ^(C1)expectation of the wicked is wrath.

²⁴ There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in poverty.

²⁵ A ^(F1)(C1)generous person will be ^(F2)prosperous,
And one who ^(C2)gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.

²⁶ One who withholds grain, the ^(C1)people will curse him,
But ^(C2)blessing will be on the head of him who ^(C3)sells it.

²⁷ One who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But ^(C1)one who seeks evil, evil will come to him.

²⁸ One who ^(C1)trusts in his riches will fall,
But ^(C2)the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.

²⁹ One who ^(C1)troubles his own house will ^(C2)inherit wind,
And ^(C3)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

³⁰ The fruit of the righteous is ^(C1)a tree of life,
And ^(C2)one who is wise ^(F1)gains souls.

³¹ If ^(C1)the righteous will be repaid on the earth,
How much more the wicked and the sinner!