A thoughtful guide for your walk of faith Read with context, practice with grace.
Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Proverbs 11

Wisdom for character, speech, work, relationships, justice, money, and reverence for God.

Old Testament

Proverbs 11

1A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but accurate weights are his delight.

2When pride comes, then comes shame, but with humility comes wisdom.

3The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

4Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

5The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

6The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.

7When a wicked man dies, hope perishes, and expectation of power comes to nothing.

8A righteous person is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked takes his place.

9With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.

10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.

11By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

12One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.

13One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret.

14Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

15He who is collateral for a stranger will suffer for it, but he who refuses pledges of collateral is secure.

16A gracious woman obtains honor, but violent men obtain riches.

17The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

18Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19He who is truly righteous gets life. He who pursues evil gets death.

20Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.

21Most certainly, the evil man will not be unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.

22Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

23The desire of the righteous is only good. The expectation of the wicked is wrath.

24There is one who scatters, and increases yet more. There is one who withholds more than is appropriate, but gains poverty.

25The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself.

26People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

27He who diligently seeks good seeks favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.

28He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.

29He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.

31Behold, the righteous shall be repaid on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Wisdom for character, speech, work, relationships, justice, money, and reverence for God. Read Proverbs 11 within the complete Proverbs overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Proverbs 11

Proverbs 11 contains 31 verses and about 501 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but accurate weights are his delight.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 31 closes: “Behold, the righteous shall be repaid on the earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner!” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include righteous, will, wicked, comes, righteousness, evil. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Proverbs 11

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Proverbs 11:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer