The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the faithless are trapped by their own desires.
Parallel translations
- WEB The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the unfaithful will be trapped by evil desires.
- KJV The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
- NKJV The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
- NASB The righteousness of the upright will rescue them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
- NLT The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them.
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
The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the unfaithful are trapped by their own cravings. Right living delivers, while sinful desire ensnares.
Overview
Mirroring the previous verse, this proverb shows righteousness as a delivering power and treacherous desire as a trap of one's own making. Evil cravings turn back on those who harbor them. The believer is rescued not by self-generated virtue but by being made righteous in Christ and freed from the tyranny of sinful desire.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Eccl 10:8He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.
- 1 Kgs 2:44The king also said, “You know in your heart all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore the LORD will bring your evil back upon your head.
- Ps 7:15–16He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.
- Prov 5:22The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.
- 1 Sam 12:3–4Here I am. Bear witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe and closed my eyes? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.”
- 1 Kgs 2:32–33The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.
- Gen 30:33So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”
- Gen 31:37You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 11:6 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.