The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.
Parallel translations
- WEB An evil man is trapped by sinfulness of lips, but the righteous shall come out of trouble.
- BSB An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech, but a righteous man escapes from trouble.
- NKJV The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble.
- NASB An evil person is ensnared by the offense of his lips, But the righteous will escape from trouble.
- NLT The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble.
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
An evil person is trapped by his own sinful words, but the righteous escape trouble. Wicked speech ensnares the speaker, while integrity delivers.
Overview
This proverb shows the sinful tongue as a snare that catches the wicked, while the righteous are delivered out of trouble. Our words can become traps of our own making. The contrast underscores the call to truthful, righteous speech, which guards rather than endangers the soul.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Prov 21:23Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
- Ps 64:8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
- Prov 11:8The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
- Prov 6:2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
- Dan 6:24And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.
- 2 Pet 2:9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
- Prov 18:6–7A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
- Eccl 7:18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
- Matt 27:25Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
- 2 Sam 4:9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
- Gen 48:16The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
- Ps 34:19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
- Prov 15:2The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
- 1 Kgs 2:23Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
- Ps 5:6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
- Rom 8:35–37Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
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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 12:13 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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