Proverbs 20:21
New International Version
An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end.

New Living Translation
An inheritance obtained too early in life is not a blessing in the end.

English Standard Version
An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

Berean Standard Bible
An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.

King James Bible
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

New King James Version
An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end.

New American Standard Bible
An inheritance gained in a hurry at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

NASB 1995
An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

NASB 1977
An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning, Will not be blessed in the end.

Legacy Standard Bible
An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning In the end will not be blessed.

Amplified Bible
An inheritance hastily gained [by greedy, unjust means] at the beginning Will not be blessed in the end.

Christian Standard Bible
An inheritance gained prematurely will not be blessed ultimately.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
An inheritance gained prematurely will not be blessed ultimately.

American Standard Version
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Contemporary English Version
Getting rich quick may turn out to be a curse.

English Revised Version
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
An inheritance quickly obtained in the beginning will never be blessed in the end.

Good News Translation
The more easily you get your wealth, the less good it will do you.

International Standard Version
An inheritance quickly obtained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.

Majority Standard Bible
An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end.

NET Bible
An inheritance gained easily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

New Heart English Bible
An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, won't be blessed in the end.

Webster's Bible Translation
An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end of it shall not be blessed.

World English Bible
An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning won’t be blessed in the end.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, "" Even its latter end is not blessed.

Young's Literal Translation
An inheritance gotten wrongly at first, Even its latter end is not blessed.

Smith's Literal Translation
An inheritance greedily gotten in the beginning; and its latter state shall not be.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.

Catholic Public Domain Version
When an inheritance is obtained hastily in the beginning, in the end it will be without a blessing.

New American Bible
Possessions greedily guarded at the outset will not be blessed in the end.

New Revised Standard Version
An estate quickly acquired in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
An inheritance hastily acquired in the beginning, shall not be blessed in the end.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
An inheritance that is hasty in its beginning will not be blessed in its end.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
An estate may be gotten hastily at the beginning; But the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A portion hastily gotten at first shall not be blessed in the end.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wine is a Mocker
20Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness. 21An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end. 22Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.…

Cross References
Luke 15:11-32
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. / The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. / After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. ...

Ecclesiastes 7:11
Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 23:4-5
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. / When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.

1 Peter 1:4
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

Proverbs 28:22
A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Proverbs 19:14
Houses and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ...

Proverbs 21:6
Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”


Treasury of Scripture

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

gotten

Proverbs 23:4
Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Proverbs 28:20,22
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent…

1 Timothy 6:9
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

but

Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Proverbs 28:8
He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

Job 27:16,17
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; …

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Beginning Blessed Blessing End Estate First Gained Gotten Hastily Heritage Hurriedly Inheritance Latter Obtained Quickly Thereof Won't Wrongly
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Proverbs 20
1. Proper Living














An inheritance gained quickly
The Hebrew word for "inheritance" is "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah), which refers to property or possessions passed down from one generation to another. In ancient Israel, inheritance was a significant aspect of family life, often involving land that was tied to one's identity and legacy. The phrase "gained quickly" suggests a hasty acquisition, possibly through impatience, greed, or unethical means. This reflects a broader biblical principle that values diligence, patience, and integrity over immediate gratification. The quick gain of an inheritance might bypass the natural process of growth and maturity, leading to a lack of appreciation and stewardship.

will not be blessed
The Hebrew word for "blessed" is "בָּרוּךְ" (baruch), which implies divine favor and prosperity. In the biblical context, blessings are often associated with God's approval and the resulting peace and prosperity that come from living in accordance with His will. The absence of blessing here suggests that an inheritance obtained without the proper foundation of character and wisdom will not enjoy God's favor. It serves as a warning that material wealth, when acquired without regard for righteousness, may lead to spiritual and moral poverty.

in the end
The phrase "in the end" translates from the Hebrew "בְּאַחֲרִית" (be'acharit), which refers to the final outcome or the ultimate result of one's actions. This emphasizes the long-term perspective that is central to biblical wisdom literature. While immediate results may seem favorable, the true measure of success is seen in the enduring legacy and impact of one's choices. The verse encourages believers to consider the eternal consequences of their actions, reminding them that God's timing and methods are perfect, and that true prosperity is found in aligning with His purposes.

(21) The end thereof shall not be blessed.--Comp. Proverbs 28:20 : the evil means by which he acquired the possession will, at the last, be visited upon him. Thus Jacob was punished severely for the selfishness by which he gained the birthright, and for the fraud by which he obtained the blessing belonging to his brother.

Verse 21. - An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning - or, which in the beginning, is obtained in haste - but the end thereof shall not be blessed; or, its end shall not be blessed. The Khetib gives מְבֹהֶלֶת, which (comp. Zechariah 11:8) may mean "detested," but this gives no sense; it is better, with the Keri, to replace kheth with he, and read מְבֹהֶלֶת (meboheleth), "hastened," "hastily acquired" (see Proverbs 13:11, Septuagint). The maxim, taken in connection with the preceding verse, may apply to a bad son who thinks his parents live too long, and by violence robs them of their possessions; or to one who, like the prodigal in the parable, demands prematurely his portion of the paternal goods. But it may also be taken generally as denouncing the fate of those who make haste to be rich, being unscrupulous as to the means by which they gain wealth (see on Proverbs 23:11; 28:20, 22). A Greek gnome says roundly -

Οὐδεὶς ἐπλούτησεν ταχέως δίκαιος ὤν.

"No righteous man e'er grew rich suddenly."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
An inheritance
נַ֭חֲלָה (na·ḥă·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5159: Something inherited, occupancy, an heirloom, an estate, patrimony, portion

gained
מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת (mə·ḇō·he·leṯ)
Verb - Pual - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 973: To feel a loathing

quickly
בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה (bā·ri·šō·nāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7223: First, in place, time, rank

will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be blessed
תְבֹרָֽךְ׃ (ṯə·ḇō·rāḵ)
Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

in the end.
וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ (wə·’a·ḥă·rî·ṯāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 20:21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 20:20
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