Proverbs 11:26

People will curse ¹  the one who withholds grain, ²  but they will praise ³  the one who sells it. ⁴ 

People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

He who withholds grain, the people will curse him, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

People curse those who hold their grain for higher prices, but they bless the one who sells to them in their time of need.

Curses on those who drive a hard bargain! Blessings on all who play fair and square!

He who keeps back grain will be cursed by the people; but a blessing will be on the head of him who lets them have it for a price.

The people curse those who hold back grain, but a blessing is on the head of those who sell it.

The people will curse him who withholds grain, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it .

People will curse ¹  the one who withholds grain, ²  but they will praise ³  the one who sells it. ⁴ 

¹ tn The direct object suffix on the verb picks up on the emphatic absolute phrase: “they will curse him – the one who withholds grain.”

² sn The proverb refers to a merchant who holds back his grain from the free market to raise prices when there is a great need for the produce. It is assumed that merchants are supposed to have a social conscience.

³ tn Heb “but a blessing is for the head of the one who sells.” The parallelism with “curse” suggests that בְּרָכָה (berakhah) “blessing” means “praise.”

⁴ tn Heb “for the head of the one who sells.” The term “head” functions as a synecdoche of part (= head) for the whole (= person). The head is here emphasized because it is the “crowning” point of praise. The direct object (“it”) is not in the Hebrew text but is implied.