Proverbs 3:31
New International Version
Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.

New Living Translation
Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways.

English Standard Version
Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,

Berean Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

King James Bible
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

New King James Version
Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;

New American Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent person, And do not choose any of his ways.

NASB 1995
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

NASB 1977
Do not envy a man of violence, And do not choose any of his ways.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

Amplified Bible
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

American Standard Version
Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And do not envy an evil man, neither desire any of his ways;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.

Contemporary English Version
Don't be jealous of cruel people or follow their example.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:

English Revised Version
Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do not envy a violent person. Do not choose any of his ways.

Good News Translation
Don't be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do,

International Standard Version
Do not envy a violent man, and do not emulate his lifestyle.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.

Literal Standard Version
Do not be envious of a man of violence, | Nor fix on any of his ways.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

New American Bible
Do not envy the violent and choose none of their ways:

NET Bible
Do not envy a violent man, and do not choose to imitate any of his ways;

New Revised Standard Version
Do not envy the violent and do not choose any of their ways;

New Heart English Bible
Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

Webster's Bible Translation
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

World English Bible
Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

Young's Literal Translation
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Blessings of Wisdom
30Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm. 31Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; 32for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.…

Cross References
Psalm 37:1
Do not fret over doers of evil; do not envy those who do wrong.

Proverbs 24:1
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;


Treasury of Scripture

Envy you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

envy

Proverbs 23:17
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Proverbs 24:1,19,20
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them…

Psalm 37:1,7-9
A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity…

the oppressor

Ecclesiastes 5:8
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

choose

Proverbs 1:15-18
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: …

Proverbs 2:12-15
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; …

Proverbs 12:12
The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

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Proverbs 3
1. various exhortations
13. The gain of wisdom
27. Exhortation to goodness
33. the different state of the wicked and upright














Verse 31. - Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. The thought of strife in the preceding verse leads to that of oppression, and the precept is directed against fellowship with those who outrage the general law of benevolence and justice, Envy not; i.e. as Stuart, "Do not anxiously covet the booty which men of violence acquire." Success and wealth may follow from severity and extortion, but the man who acquires prosperity by these means is not to be envied even by the victim of his oppression (for the verb, see Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 24:1, 19). The oppressor (ish khamas); literally, a man of violence (see margin). The expression occurs in Proverbs 14:29; Psalm 18:41, and in its plural form, ish khamamim, "man of violences," in 2 Samuel 22:49; Psalm 140:1, 4. The man of violence is one who "grinds the faces of the poor," and whose conduct is rapacious, violent, and unjust. And choose none of his ways; literally, and choose not all his ways, i.e. with a view to acquire the same wealth, greatness, and power. The LXX. renders this verse, "Do not acquire the hatred of evil men, neither be jealous of their ways," evidently from having taken tiv'khar, "choose," in the second hemistich, for tith'khan, "be jealous."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

envy
תְּ֭קַנֵּא (tə·qan·nê)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious

a violent
חָמָ֑ס (ḥā·mās)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2555: Violence, wrong, by meton, unjust gain

man
בְּאִ֣ישׁ (bə·’îš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

or choose
תִּ֝בְחַ֗ר (tiḇ·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

any
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

of his ways;
דְּרָכָֽיו׃ (də·rā·ḵāw)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:31 Don't envy the man of violence (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 3:30
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