Proverbs 11:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

NIV: A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

NASB: A generous person will be prosperous, And one who gives others plenty of water will himself be given plenty.

CSB: A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.

NLT: The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

KJV: The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

NKJV: The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

Again, Solomon extols the virtue of generosity. This echoes principles taught by Jesus (Luke 6:38) and Paul (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). It pleases God when we lovingly serve others, including with material resources and care (Matthew 5:16; John 13:34–35; 1 John 3:17–18). Spiritually, we are guaranteed to see some benefit from doing good for others (Matthew 10:42). In life, it's usually the case that generous people get help and support from others during hard times, unlike the greedy who are often ignored. The expected result of generous, loving kindness to others is reciprocal love and care.

Business-minded people can learn from this verse to be generous with their employees, and to give generously to the Lord's work. While there are no guarantees (Psalm 73:1–3), such a business sets itself up to prosper. Employees will appreciate their owner's generosity and consequently their productivity will increase. They will be inclined to stay longer and provide the business with the experience and knowledge gained over time. Customers often react positively to businesses they see as kind or generous.

A congregation, too, is blessed by giving generously to the needy. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:10–11: "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way." The stingy person or congregation cannot blame God for a lack of results. God does not need much to do great things, but He expects us to make available all we have (John 6:1–14), rather than hold back.

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.