Godly people find life; evil people find death.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who is truly righteous gets life. He who pursues evil gets death.
- KJV As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
- BSB Genuine righteousness leads to life, but the pursuit of evil brings death.
- NKJV As righteousness leads to life, So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
- NASB One who is steadfast in righteousness attains life, But one who pursues evil attains his own death.
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
Genuine righteousness leads to life, but pursuing evil leads to death. The direction of our lives determines our destiny.
Overview
This proverb sets a stark choice before the reader: steadfast righteousness ends in life, while the pursuit of evil ends in death. It distills the two-ways theme that runs throughout wisdom literature. The fullness of this 'life' is realized in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life for all who follow Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Prov 10:16The labor of the righteous leads to life. The increase of the wicked leads to sin.
- Rom 2:8–9but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation,
- Prov 12:28In the way of righteousness is life; in its path there is no death.
- Prov 19:23The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.
- Prov 1:16–19for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.
- Prov 8:36But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.”
- Prov 7:22–23He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
- 1 Jn 3:7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
- 1 Jn 3:10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.
- Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Acts 10:35but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
- Prov 11:4Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 11:19 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.