Proverbs 11:27

The one who diligently seeks ¹  good seeks favor, but the one who searches ²  for evil – it will come to him. ³ 

Es 7:10; Ps 7:15,16; Ps 9:15,16; Ps 10:2; Ps 57:6; Pr 17:11

¹ tn Two separate words are used here for “seek.” The first is שָׁחַר (shakhar, “to seek diligently”) and the second is בָּקַשׁ (baqash, “to seek after; to look for”). Whoever is seeking good is in effect seeking favor – from either God or man (e.g., Ps 5:12; Isa 49:8).

² tn The participle דֹּרֵשׁ (doresh) means “to seek; to inquire; to investigate.” A person generally receives the consequences of the kind of life he seeks.

³ tn The verb is the imperfect tense, third feminine singular, referring to “evil,” the object of the participle.