Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.
Parallel translations
- KJV Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
- BSB Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.
- NKJV Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death.
- NASB Ill-gotten gains do not benefit, But righteousness rescues from death.
- NLT Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. Wickedly gained wealth cannot save, while righteousness does.
Overview
Wealth obtained through wickedness offers no lasting benefit, for it cannot rescue from death or judgment. Righteousness, by contrast, has saving power that earthly riches lack. This anticipates the gospel truth that no amount of wealth can redeem the soul; only the righteousness God provides delivers from death (Psalm 49:7-8; Romans 5:18-19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 11:4Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
- Prov 12:28In the way of righteousness is life; in its path there is no death.
- Ps 49:6–10Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches —
- Prov 21:6Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.
- Zeph 1:18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
- Ezek 7:19They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath. They won’t satisfy their souls, neither fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.
- Rom 5:21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
- Dan 4:27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.
- Isa 10:2–3to deprive the needy from justice, and to rob the poor among my people of their rights, that widows may be their plunder, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!
- Luke 16:22–23The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
- Phil 3:9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
- Rom 2:5But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;
- Luke 12:15–21He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”
- Jas 5:1–3Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 10:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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