Judaism
Proverbs 11
Text
A false balance is an abomination to the LORD; But a perfect weight is His delight.
When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.
The integrity of the upright shall guide them; But the perverseness of the faithless shall destroy them.
Riches profit not in the day of wrath; But righteousness delivereth from death.
The righteousness of the sincere shall make straight his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. .
The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them; But the faithless shall be trapped in their own crafty device.
When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish, And the hope of strength perisheth.
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, And the wicked cometh in his stead.
With his mouth the impious man destroyeth his neighbour; But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; And when the wicked perish, there is joy.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
He that despiseth his neighbour lacketh understanding; But a man of discernment holdeth his peace.
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets; But he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.
Where no wise direction is, a people falleth; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.
He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it; But he that hateth them that strike hands is secure.
A gracious woman obtaineth honour; And strong men obtain riches.
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; But he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.
The wicked earneth deceitful wages; But he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward.
Stedfast righteousness tendeth to life; But he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD; But such as are upright in their way are His delight.
My hand upon it! the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall escape. .
As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman that turneth aside from discretion.
The desire of the righteous is only good; But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth only to want.
The beneficent soul shall be made rich, and he that satisfieth abundantly shall be satisfied also himself.
He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him; But blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
He that diligently seeketh good seeketh favour; But he that searcheth for evil, it shall come unto him.
He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; But the righteous shall flourish as foliage.
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; And the foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.
Behold, the righteous shall be requited in the earth; How much more the wicked and the sinner!
Text: The Holy Scriptures, Jewish Publication Society (1917), public domain, via Sefaria.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Snp 1.8 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Even as a mother would protect with her life her child, her only child, so too for all creatures unfold a boundless heart.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“ik oankaar sat naam: one Creator, whose Name is Truth, beyond fear and enmity.”
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277 (trans. F. Max Müller)
“‘All created things perish,’ he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain; this is the way to purity.”
Tao Te Ching 76 (trans. James Legge)
“Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“Nay, but as when one layeth His worn-out robes away, And taking new ones, sayeth, "These will I wear to-day!" So putteth by the spirit Lightly its garb of flesh, And passeth to inherit A residence afresh.”
The Path to Wisdom
Dhammapada 20:282 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends.”
Analects 2:11 (trans. James Legge)
“If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.”
Tao Te Ching 33 (trans. James Legge)
“He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent.”
Quran 39:9
“Are those who know equal with those who know not?”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Dhammapada 2 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with pure intent you speak or act, happiness follows you like a shadow that never leaves.”
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“The Doors of Hell Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass, The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three!”