Proverbs 12
The full text of Proverbs 12 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but whoever hates correction is a brute.
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but the man of evil schemes he condemns.
3 No one is established by wickedness,
but the root of the righteous will not be moved.
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
but one who brings shame is like rot in his bones.
5 The thoughts of the righteous are just,
but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
6 The words of the wicked are a deadly ambush,
but the mouth of the upright delivers them.
7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous will stand.
8 A man is praised in proportion to his wisdom,
but one with a twisted heart is despised.
9 Better to be lowly and have a servant
than to play the great man and lack bread.
10 A righteous man cares for the life of his animal,
but even the mercies of the wicked are cruel.
11 Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but whoever chases fantasies lacks sense.
12 The wicked covets the plunder of evil men,
but the root of the righteous yields fruit.
13 An evil man is snared by the transgression of his lips,
but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is filled with good,
and what his hands do comes back to him.
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to counsel.
16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,
but a prudent man conceals an insult.
17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
but a false witness utters deceit.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue, only for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil,
but those who counsel peace have joy.
21 No ill befalls the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with trouble.
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.
23 A prudent man conceals his knowledge,
but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
but the slothful will be put to forced labor.
25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down,
but a good word makes it glad.
26 A righteous man is a guide to his neighbor,
but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
27 A slothful man will not catch his prey,
but the diligent man will turn his hand to wealth.
28 In the path of righteousness is life,
and in that pathway there is no death.
Translation notes (7)
- Proverbs 12:4a The phrase eshet chayil, 'wife of strength' or 'of excellence', is the same expression that opens the acrostic poem of Proverbs 31:10. The contrast turns on raqav, 'rot' or 'decay', a word used of decomposing wood and bone (compare Habakkuk 3:16): the shameful spouse is a hidden, internal corrosion that destroys from within rather than an outward blow.
- Proverbs 12:9a The Masoretic Text reads ve'eved lo, 'and has a servant', but the same consonants may be vocalized ve'oved lo, 'and works for himself', the reading reflected in the Septuagint and the Syriac. This translation follows the Masoretic vocalization: modest means with one servant surpass empty pretension. The verb mitkabbed, 'to play the great man', literally means 'to honor oneself'.
- Proverbs 12:10a The Hebrew says literally that the righteous man yodea, 'knows', the nefesh, 'life' or 'appetite', of his animal, that is, he attends to its needs; humane treatment of livestock belonged to Israel's law (Exodus 23:12; Deuteronomy 25:4). The second line uses rachamim, 'mercies', a word akin to rechem, 'womb': even the tenderest impulses of the wicked prove cruel.
- Proverbs 12:16a Hebrew bayyom, literally 'in the day', is an idiom of immediacy, rendered here as 'at once'. The passive verb yivvada, 'is made known', suggests the fool's anger announces itself rather than being deliberately displayed, a contrast sharpened by koseh, 'covers' or 'conceals', which marks the prudent man's active restraint.
- Proverbs 12:26a The Hebrew verb yater is obscure; if derived from tur, 'to explore', the righteous one scouts out the path for his neighbor, hence 'guide'. Others repoint the clause to read mera'ah, 'from harm', instead of mere'ehu, 'his neighbor', yielding the sense that the righteous is delivered from evil. The parallel with the wicked who lead astray favors the sense of guidance.
- Proverbs 12:27a The verb charak (יַחֲרֹךְ) occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible. Cognate Aramaic usage suggests 'roast' or 'singe', so that the sluggard fails even to roast what he has hunted; the Septuagint understood it as failing to catch the prey at all, and this translation follows that sense. The second line is terse in Hebrew, literally 'the wealth of a diligent man is precious'.
- Proverbs 12:28a The Masoretic Text reads al-mavet (אַל־מָוֶת), literally 'no death'. The Septuagint reflects the opposite sense, 'to death', suggesting a reading of el-mavet, and some interpreters follow it. Mitchell Dahood argued from the Ugaritic phrase bl-mt that the Hebrew expression here denotes immortality, a rare hint of life beyond death in Proverbs.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own modern English translation, worked directly from the original Hebrew and honest to the earliest manuscripts. It was completed in 2026 — the most modern English Bible translation — and is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter, including all of Proverbs, is free to read here on the web.
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