Proverbs 24:12
New International Version
If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

New Living Translation
Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

English Standard Version
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?

Berean Standard Bible
If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

King James Bible
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

New King James Version
If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

New American Standard Bible
If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He who weighs the hearts not consider it? And does He who watches over your soul not know it? And will He not repay a person according to his work?

NASB 1995
If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

NASB 1977
If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

Legacy Standard Bible
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts understand? And does not He who guards your soul know? And will not He render to man according to his work?

Amplified Bible
If you [claim ignorance and] say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives? And does He not know it who guards your life and keeps your soul? And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?

Christian Standard Bible
If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,” won’t he who weighs hearts consider it? Won’t he who protects your life know? Won’t he repay a person according to his work?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,” won’t He who weighs hearts consider it? Won’t He who protects your life know? Won’t He repay a person according to his work?

American Standard Version
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And if you say, "I did not know it”, know that God examines the thought of the heart, and he who keeps your soul knows, and rewards a son of man according to his works.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But if thou shouldest say, I know not this man; know that the Lord knows the hearts of all; and he that formed breath for all, he knows all things, who renders to every man according to his works.

Contemporary English Version
Don't say, "I didn't know it!" God can read your mind. He watches each of us and knows our thoughts. And God will pay us back for what we do.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If thou say: I have not strength enough: he that seeth into the heart, he understandeth, and nothing deceiveth the keeper of thy soul, end he shall render to a man according to his works.

English Revised Version
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this: doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his work?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When you say, "We didn't know this," won't the one who weighs hearts take note of it? Won't the one who guards your soul know it? Won't he pay back people for what they do?

Good News Translation
You may say that it is none of your business, but God knows and judges your motives. He keeps watch on you; he knows. And he will reward you according to what you do.

International Standard Version
If you say, "Look here, we didn't know about this," doesn't God, who examines motives, discern it? Doesn't the one who guards your soul know about it? Won't he repay each person according to what he has done?

JPS Tanakh 1917
If thou sayest: 'Behold, we knew not this', Doth not He that weigheth the hearts consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?

Literal Standard Version
When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.

Majority Standard Bible
If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?

New American Bible
because you said, “We didn’t know about it”? Surely, the Searcher of hearts knows and will repay all according to their deeds.

NET Bible
If you say, "But we did not know about this," does not the one who evaluates hearts consider? Does not the one who guards your life know? Will he not repay each person according to his deeds?

New Revised Standard Version
if you say, “Look, we did not know this”— does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it? And will he not repay all according to their deeds?

New Heart English Bible
If you say, "Look, we did not know this;" doesn't he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn't he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

Webster's Bible Translation
If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and will not he render to every man according to his works?

World English Bible
If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?

Young's Literal Translation
When thou sayest, 'Lo, we knew not this.' Is not the Ponderer of hearts He who understandeth? And the Keeper of thy soul He who knoweth? And He hath rendered to man according to his work.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Do not Envy
11Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter. 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds? 13Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.…

Cross References
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

Romans 2:6
God "will repay each one according to his deeds."

1 Samuel 2:3
Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart."

Job 34:11
For according to a man's deeds He repays him; according to a man's ways He brings consequences.

Psalm 94:9
He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?

Psalm 121:3
He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.


Treasury of Scripture

If you say, Behold, we knew it not; does not he that ponders the heart consider it? and he that keeps your soul, does not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

doth he not

Proverbs 5:21
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Proverbs 21:2
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

that keepeth

1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

1 Samuel 25:29
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

Psalm 66:9
Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

and shall

Job 34:11
For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

Psalm 62:12
Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

Jeremiah 32:19
Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

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Proverbs 24
1. Precepts and Warnings














(12) If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not.--Man being too much inclined to answer after the manner of Cain (Genesis 4:9), "Am I my brother's keeper?" when he might give aid to those who need it.

Verse 12. - If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not. The disciple of Wisdom may excuse himself from making any effort for the prisoners' release, by saying he had not heard of the case. St. Jerome makes the excuse to be inability, vires non suppetunt. The LXX. makes it a personal matter, ignoring the plural form of the previous paragraph. "I know him not, he is no friend of mine; why should I trouble myself about him?" Such a selfish person, like the priest and Levite in the parable, would "pass by on the other side." Doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? God knows the truth - knows that the excuse is vain; for he is the Weigher and Searcher of hearts (Proverbs 16:2; Proverbs 21:2). Cain's plea, "Am I my brother's keeper?" is unavailable; the law of love is limited by no circumstances. He that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? The expression, "keeping the soul," may be equivalent to "preserving the life;" but it more probably means watching, observing, the inmost secrets of the nature (Job 7:20). The verb used is נָצַר (natsar), which has both significations. The sense of "forming." which some give it, seems not allowable. (For "heart" (leb) and "soul" (nephesh), see note on Proverbs 2:10.) Shall not he render to every man according to his works? Knowing the heart and the motive, God deals out retributive justice (Proverbs 12:14; Psalm 62:12; Romans 2:6). Septuagint, "But if thou say, I know not this man, know that the Lord knoweth the hearts of air; and he who formed (πλάσας) breath for all, himself knoweth all things, who rendereth to every man according to his works."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you say,
תֹאמַ֗ר (ṯō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Behold,
הֵן֮ (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

we did not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know
יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ (yā·ḏa‘·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3045: To know

about this,”
זֶ֥ה (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

will not
הֲ‍ֽלֹא־ (hălō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

He
הֽוּא־ (hū-)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

who weighs
תֹ֘כֵ֤ן (ṯō·ḵên)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8505: To balance, measure out, arrange, equalize, levelling

hearts
לִבּ֨וֹת ׀ (lib·bō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3826: The heart

consider it?
יָבִ֗ין (yā·ḇîn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

Does not the One
ה֣וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

who guards
וְנֹצֵ֣ר (wə·nō·ṣêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5341: To watch, guard, keep

your life
נַ֭פְשְׁךָ (nap̄·šə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

know?
יֵדָ֑ע (yê·ḏā‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

Will He not repay
וְהֵשִׁ֖יב (wə·hê·šîḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

a man
לְאָדָ֣ם (lə·’ā·ḏām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

according to his deeds?
כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃ (kə·p̄ā·‘o·lōw)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6467: Doing, deed, work


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 24:12 If you say Behold we didn't know (Prov. Pro Pr)
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