11:25 A generous person 9 will be enriched, 10
and the one who provides water 11 for others 12 will himself be satisfied. 13
32:5 A fool will no longer be called honorable;
a deceiver will no longer be called principled.
32:6 For a fool speaks disgraceful things; 14
his mind plans out sinful deeds. 15
He commits godless deeds 16
and says misleading things about the Lord;
he gives the hungry nothing to satisfy their appetite 17
and gives the thirsty nothing to drink. 18
32:7 A deceiver’s methods are evil; 19
he dreams up evil plans 20
to ruin the poor with lies,
even when the needy are in the right. 21
32:8 An honorable man makes honorable plans;
his honorable character gives him security. 22
1 tn Grk “in every way for every generosity,” or “he will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (L&N 57.29).
2 tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).
3 tn Or “ministry.”
4 tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”
5 tc After the phrase “the
6 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, which the translation indicates with “surely.” Note however, that the use is rhetorical, for the next verse attaches a condition.
7 tn Heb “the
8 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess.”
9 tn Heb “the soul of blessing.” The genitive functions attributively. “Blessing” refers to a gift (Gen 33:11) or a special favor (Josh 15:19). The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “soul”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= soul) for the whole (= person); see BDB 660 s.v. 4.
10 tn Heb “will grow fat.” Drawing on the standard comparison of fatness and abundance (Deut 32:15), the term means “become rich, prosperous.”
11 tn The verb מַרְוֶה (marveh, “to be saturated; to drink one’s fill”) draws a comparison between providing water for others with providing for those in need (e.g., Jer 31:25; Lam 3:15). The kind act will be reciprocated.
12 tn The phrase “for others” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied by the causative Hiphil verb which normally takes a direct object; it is elided in the Hebrew for the sake of emphasis. It is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
13 tn This verb also means “to pour water,” and so continues the theme of the preceding participle: The one who gives refreshment to others will be refreshed. BDB 924 s.v. רָוָה lists the form יוֹרֶא (yore’) as a Hophal imperfect of רָוָה (ravah, the only occurrence) and translates it “will himself also be watered” (cf. KJV, ASV, NASB). But the verb looks very much like a Hiphil of the root יָרָא (yara’, “to shoot; to pour”). So the editors of BHS suggest יוּאָר (yu’ar).
14 tn Or “foolishness,” in a moral-ethical sense. See 9:17.
15 tn Heb “and his heart commits sin”; KJV, ASV “his heart will work iniquity”; NASB “inclines toward wickedness.”
16 tn Heb “in order to do [or “so that he does”] what is godless [or “defiled”].”
17 tn Heb “so that he leaves empty the appetite [or “desire”] of the hungry.”
18 tn Heb “and the drink of the thirsty he causes to fail.”
19 tn Heb “as for a deceiver, his implements [or “weapons”] are evil.”
20 tn Or “he plans evil things”; NIV “he makes up evil schemes.”
21 tn Heb “to ruin the poor with words of falsehood, even when the needy speak what is just.”
22 tn Heb “and he upon honorable things stands.”