Proverbs 10:31

The speech ¹  of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, ²  but the one who speaks perversion ³  will be destroyed. ⁴ 

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out.

The godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

A good person's mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

The mouth of the upright man is budding with wisdom, but the twisted tongue will be cut off.

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out.

The speech ¹  of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, ²  but the one who speaks perversion ³  will be destroyed. ⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “the mouth.” The term פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for speech.

² tn Heb “bears wisdom.” The verb נוּב (nuv) means “to bear fruit.” It is used figuratively of the righteous; they produce wisdom and righteousness. The term חָכְמָה (khokhmah, “wisdom”) represents the “fruit” that the righteous bear: “they bear the fruit of wisdom” (BDB 626 s.v.).

³ tn Heb “the tongue of perversions.” The noun תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (tahpukhot, “perversions”) functions as a genitive of content; it refers to what the tongue says – perverse things. The plural form depicts a plural of character. The term לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole person (= the speaker). The tongue is emphasized because this person is characterized by perverse speech. The term תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (“perversions”) refers to those who turn things upside down, overthrow, or pervert what is right.

⁴ tn Heb “will be cut off” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); cf. KJV, NASB, NIV “cut out.” Their tongue will be cut off, a hyperbole meaning to bring to an end the evil that they speak.