Proverbs 11:18

The wicked person ¹  earns ²  deceitful wages, ³  but the one who sows ⁴  righteousness reaps ⁵  a genuine ⁶  reward. ⁷ 

The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

The wicked earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.

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

Bad work gets paid with a bad check; good work gets solid pay.

The sinner gets the payment of deceit; but his reward is certain who puts in the seed of righteousness.

The wicked earn no real gain, but those who sow righteousness get a true reward.

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

The wicked person ¹  earns ²  deceitful wages, ³  but the one who sows ⁴  righteousness reaps ⁵  a genuine ⁶  reward. ⁷ 

¹ tn The form is the masculine singular adjective used as a substantive.

² tn Heb “makes” (so NAB).

³ tn Heb “wages of deception.”

sn Whatever recompense or reward the wicked receive will not last, hence, it is deceptive (R. B. Y. Scott, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 88).

⁴ sn The participle “sowing” provides an implied comparison (the figure is known as hypocatastasis) with the point of practicing righteousness and inspiring others to do the same. What is sown will yield fruit (1 Cor 9:11; 2 Cor 9:6; Jas 3:18).

⁵ tn The term “reaps” does not appear in the Hebrew but has been supplied in the translation from context for the sake of smoothness.

⁶ tn Heb “true” (so NASB, NRSV); KJV, NAB, NIV “sure.”

⁷ sn A wordplay (paronomasia) occurs between “deceptive” (שָׁקֶר, shaqer) and “reward” (שֶׂכֶר, sekher), underscoring the contrast by the repetition of sounds. The wages of the wicked are deceptive; the reward of the righteous is sure.