What does Proverbs 13:6 mean?

This observes two contrasting results. "Righteousness" means a sincere seeking of God's will and obedience to His commands (Proverbs 1:7). Those who follow godliness and sound wisdom have a much better chance of happiness and success (Proverb 3:6; 12:28). Those who ignore God open themselves to all sorts of worldly troubles (Proverbs 1:32; 15:10; 18:6–7), not to mention condemnation in eternity (Proverbs 11:7).

Because a righteous person leads an upright life that no one can legitimately fault, he leaves no room for others to blame him for his life. Joseph is an example of a person whose life was void of legitimate faultfinding. His trust in the Lord remained steadfast, and the harm his brothers tried to impose on him resulted in his good. He told them, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

Daniel is another good example of a person whose life was beyond fault. When his enemies trumped up an occasion that led to his confinement in a den of hungry lions, God protected him. The lions did not hurt him, and the king ordered his release from the lions' den. However, the wicked men who were responsible for Daniel's confinement ended up in the same lions' den and died at the teeth of the hungry lions before they reached the bottom of the den. Their sin overtook them (Daniel 6). As this proverb notes, the sin of Daniel's enemies wound up becoming their own ruin.

Both examples demonstrate the Bible's complete understanding of human suffering. A "proverb" is a general statement of common sense. Scripture notes that even good people can suffer in a fallen world. However, the expected pattern in most cases is that "doing good" leads to someone "experiencing" good.