Proverbs 8:36

But the one who does not find me ¹  brings harm ²  to himself; ³  all who hate me ⁴  love death.”

But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."

"But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."

But those who miss me have injured themselves. All who hate me love death."

But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you're flirting with death."

But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.

but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death."

But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death."

But the one who does not find me ¹  brings harm ²  to himself; ³  all who hate me ⁴  love death.”

¹ tn Heb “the one sinning [against] me.” The verb חָטָא (khata’, “to sin”) forms a contrast with “find” in the previous verse, and so has its basic meaning of “failing to find, miss.” So it is talking about the one who misses wisdom, as opposed to the one who finds it.

² tn The Qal active participle functions verbally here. The word stresses both social and physical harm and violence.

sn Brings harm. Whoever tries to live without wisdom is inviting all kinds of disaster into his life.

³ tn Heb “his soul.”

⁴ tn The basic idea of the verb שָׂנֵא (sane’, “to hate”) is that of rejection. Its antonym is also used in the line, “love,” which has the idea of choosing. So not choosing (i.e., hating) wisdom amounts to choosing (i.e., loving) death.