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Proverbs chapter 12 in Hebrew and English

28 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

אֹהֵב מוּסָר אֹהֵב דָּעַת וְשֹׂנֵא תוֹכַחַת בָּֽעַר׃

Whoso loveth knowledge loveth correction; But he that is brutish hateth reproof.

טוֹב יָפִיק רָצוֹן מֵיְהוָה וְאִישׁ מְזִמּוֹת יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃

A good man shall obtain favour of the LORD; But a man of wicked devices will He condemn.

לֹא־יִכּוֹן אָדָם בְּרֶשַׁע וְשֹׁרֶשׁ צַדִּיקִים בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃

A man shall not be established by wickedness; But the root of the righteous shall never be moved.

אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעְלָהּ וּכְרָקָב בְּעַצְמוֹתָיו מְבִישָֽׁה׃

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; But she that doeth shamefully is as rottenness in his bones.

מַחְשְׁבוֹת צַדִּיקִים מִשְׁפָּט תַּחְבֻּלוֹת רְשָׁעִים מִרְמָֽה׃

The thoughts of the righteous are right; But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

דִּבְרֵי רְשָׁעִים אֱרָב־דָּם וּפִי יְשָׁרִים יַצִּילֵֽם׃

The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood; But the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. .

הָפוֹךְ רְשָׁעִים וְאֵינָם וּבֵית צַדִּיקִים יַעֲמֹֽד׃

The wicked are overthrown, and are not; But the house of the righteous shall stand.

לְפִי־שִׂכְלוֹ יְהֻלַּל־אִישׁ וְנַעֲוֵה־לֵב יִהְיֶה לָבֽוּז׃

A man shall be commended according to his intelligence; But he that is of a distorted understanding shall be despised.

טוֹב נִקְלֶה וְעֶבֶד לוֹ מִמְּתַכַּבֵּד וַחֲסַר־לָֽחֶם׃

Better is he that is lightly esteemed, and hath a servant, Than he that playeth the man of rank, and lacketh bread.

יוֹדֵעַ צַדִּיק נֶפֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּוֹ וְרַחֲמֵי רְשָׁעִים אַכְזָרִֽי׃

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

עֹבֵד אַדְמָתוֹ יִשְׂבַּע־לָחֶם וּמְרַדֵּף רֵיקִים חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃

He that tilleth his ground shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain things is void of understanding.

חָמַד רָשָׁע מְצוֹד רָעִים וְשֹׁרֶשׁ צַדִּיקִים יִתֵּֽן׃

The wicked desireth the prey of evil men; But the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

בְּפֶשַׁע שְׂפָתַיִם מוֹקֵשׁ רָע וַיֵּצֵא מִצָּרָה צַדִּֽיק׃

In the transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man; But the righteous cometh out of trouble.

מִפְּרִי פִי־אִישׁ יִשְׂבַּע־טוֹב וּגְמוּל יְדֵי־אָדָם יָשִׁיב לֽוֹ׃

A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the doings of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

דֶּרֶךְ אֱוִיל יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו וְשֹׁמֵעַ לְעֵצָה חָכָֽם׃

The way of a fool is straight in his own eyes; But he that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel.

אֱוִיל בַּיּוֹם יִוָּדַע כַּעְסוֹ וְכֹסֶה קָלוֹן עָרֽוּם׃

A fool’s vexation is presently known; But a prudent man concealeth shame.

יָפִיחַ אֱמוּנָה יַגִּיד צֶדֶק וְעֵד שְׁקָרִים מִרְמָֽה׃

He that breatheth forth truth uttereth righteousness; But a false witness deceit.

יֵשׁ בּוֹטֶה כְּמַדְקְרוֹת חָרֶב וּלְשׁוֹן חֲכָמִים מַרְפֵּֽא׃

There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword; But the tongue of the wise is health.

שְׂפַת־אֱמֶת תִּכּוֹן לָעַד וְעַד־אַרְגִּיעָה לְשׁוֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃

The lip of truth shall be established for ever; But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

מִרְמָה בְּלֶב־חֹרְשֵׁי רָע וּלְיֹעֲצֵי שָׁלוֹם שִׂמְחָֽה׃

Deceit is in the heart of them that devise evil; But to the counsellors of peace is joy.

לֹא־יְאֻנֶּה לַצַּדִּיק כָּל־אָוֶן וּרְשָׁעִים מָלְאוּ רָֽע׃

There shall no mischief befall the righteous; But the wicked are filled with evil.

תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁקֶר וְעֹשֵׂי אֱמוּנָה רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD; But they that deal truly are His delight. .

אָדָם עָרוּם כֹּסֶה דָּעַת וְלֵב כְּסִילִים יִקְרָא אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

A prudent man concealeth knowledge; But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

יַד־חָרוּצִים תִּמְשׁוֹל ורְמִיָּה תִּהְיֶה לָמַֽס׃

The hand of the diligent shall bear rule; But the slothful shall be under tribute.

דְּאָגָה בְלֶב־אִישׁ יַשְׁחֶנָּה וְדָבָר טוֹב יְשַׂמְּחֶֽנָּה׃

Care in the heart of a man boweth it down; But a good word maketh it glad.

יָתֵר מֵרֵעֵהוּ צַדִּיק וְדֶרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים תַּתְעֵֽם׃

The righteous is guided by his friend; But the way of the wicked leadeth them astray.

לֹא־יַחֲרֹךְ רְמִיָּה צֵידוֹ וְהוֹן־אָדָם יָקָר חָרֽוּץ׃

The slothful man shall not hunt his prey; But the precious substance of men is to be diligent.

בְּאֹרַח־צְדָקָה חַיִּים וְדֶרֶךְ נְתִיבָה אַל־מָֽוֶת׃

In the way of righteousness is life, And in the pathway thereof there is no death.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 12 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 28 verses, 202 words, about 2 minutes to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 12 have?

Proverbs chapter 12 has 28 verses and 202 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 12 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words אהב מוסר אהב דעת.

Where does Proverbs chapter 12 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 12 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 12?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.