Proverbs 11:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

NIV: A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

NASB: A wicked person earns deceptive wages, But one who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

CSB: The wicked person earns an empty wage, but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.

NLT: Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.

KJV: The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

NKJV: The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.

This verse continues the contrast between a wicked person and a righteous person. The wicked person trusts in his earnings, but he is deceived. Money cannot satisfy the craving of the heart (Proverbs 11:6) or secure life beyond the grave (Proverbs 11:7). However, the righteous person performs righteous deeds and gains a secure reward. The Hebrew words for "deceptive" and "reward" sound similar: sā'qer and sedā'qāh. That rhyming pattern is part of how this proverb would be appreciated by its original readers. The similarity of the words is meant as an ironic contrast to the different outcomes earned by each approach.

Christ warned His followers not to work for perishable, temporary things, but for rewards that were eternal and tied to salvation (John 6:27). In other words, Jesus told us not to make material things our main goal in life. Rather our priority ought to be eternal, godly matters. At the Judgment Seat of Christ only what we have done on earth for Jesus' sake will receive a reward (1 Corinthians 3:10–14; 2 Corinthians 5:9–10). Jesus promised, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life" (Mark 10:29–30).

Proverbs 11:16–22 continues Solomon's series of contrasts. Here he compares the beautiful life of those who pursue God's truth with that of those who live in their own sinful ways. He also contrasts the righteous person's end of life with that of the wicked person. He portrays the wicked person as an abomination in the sight of the Lord, whereas the righteous person is a delight to the Lord.

Many of the proverbs in this section deal with contrasts between those who are righteous and those who are wicked. Righteous people follow God's will, bring honor and blessing on themselves, and have hope. Evil people disobey God, bring trouble on others, are hated, and their lives lead to disaster.

This continues a long passage filled with Solomon's general, common-sense observations. As in chapter 10, Solomon presents a variety of contrasts. We see distinctions such as those between integrity and dishonesty, trust in wealth and trust in the Lord, wise and foolish talk, true riches and false riches, the blessing of the righteous and the harm caused by the wicked, and the respective rewards of the godly and those who are evil.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.