| NET © | Do not slander 1 a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. 2 |
| NIV © | "Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| NASB © | Do not slander a slave to his master, Or he will curse you and you will be found guilty. |
| NLT © | Never slander a person to his employer. If you do, the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| MSG © | Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs; They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then [you'll] be the guilty one! |
| BBE © | Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble. |
| NRSV © | Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty. |
| NKJV © | Do not malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. |
| KJV | Accuse <03960> (8686) not a servant <05650> unto his master <0113>_, lest he curse <07043> (8762) thee, and thou be found guilty <0816> (8804)_. {Accuse...: Heb. Hurt not with thy tongue} |
| HEBREW | tmsaw <0816> Kllqy <07043> Np <06435> *wynda {wnda} <0113> la <0413> dbe <05650> Nslt <03960> la (30:10) <0408> |
| LXXM | mh <3165> ADV paradwv <3860> V-AAS-2S oikethn <3610> N-ASM eiv <1519> PREP ceirav <5495> N-APF despotou <1203> N-GSM mhpote <3379> ADV katarashtai V-AMS-3S se <4771> P-AS kai <2532> CONJ afanisyhv V-APS-2S |
| NET © [draft] ITL | Do not <0408> slander <03960> a servant <05650> to <0413> his master <0113> , lest <06435> he curse <07043> you, and you are found guilty .<0816> |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn The form תַּלְשֵׁן (talshen) is the Hiphil jussive (with the negative אַל, ’al); it is a denominative verb from the noun “tongue” (Heb “wag the tongue”). It means “to defame; to slander,” if the accusation is untrue. Some have suggested that the word might have the force of “denouncing” a slave to his master, accusing him before authorities (e.g., Deut 23:15-16). This proverb would then be a warning against meddling in the affairs of someone else. 2 tn If what was said were true, then there would be no culpability. But the implication here is that it was slander. And the effect of that will be a curse – the person who is the target of the slander will “curse” the person who slandered him (קָלַל [qalal] in the Piel means “to treat lightly [or, with contempt]; to curse”), and culpability will result (the verb וֹשׁם means “to be guilty; to make a guilt offering [or, reparation offering]”). This word for guilt suggests a connection to the Levitical teaching that the guilty had to make reparation for damages done (Lev 5). Cf. NAB “you will have to pay the penalty”; NIV, NLT “you will pay for it.” |