Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. New Living Translation If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer. English Standard Version If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Berean Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences. King James Bible If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. New King James Version If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.” New American Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will suffer from it. NASB 1995 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. NASB 1977 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Legacy Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Amplified Bible If you are wise, you are wise for yourself [for your own benefit]; If you scoff [thoughtlessly ridicule and disdain], you alone will pay the penalty. Christian Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.” Holman Christian Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit; if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.” American Standard Version If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scoffest, thou alone shalt bear it. Contemporary English Version Good sense is good for you, but if you brag, you hurt yourself. English Revised Version If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself: and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. GOD'S WORD® Translation If you are wise, your wisdom will help you. If you mock, you alone will be held responsible. Good News Translation You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer. International Standard Version If you are wise, your wisdom will assist you. If you mock, you alone will be held responsible. Majority Standard Bible If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences. NET Bible If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage, but if you are a mocker, you alone must bear it. New Heart English Bible If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it. Webster's Bible Translation If thou art wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. World English Bible If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIf you have been wise, you have been wise for yourself, "" And you have scorned—you bear [it] alone. Young's Literal Translation If thou hast been wise, thou hast been wise for thyself, And thou hast scorned -- thyself bearest it. Smith's Literal Translation If thou wert wise, thou wert wise for thyself: and thou mockedst, thou alone shalt suffer. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf thou be wise, thou shalt be so to thyself: and if a scorner, thou alone shalt bear the evil. Catholic Public Domain Version If you would be wise, you will be so for yourself. But if you would be one who ridicules, you alone shall carry the evil. New American Bible If you are wise, wisdom is to your advantage; if you are arrogant, you alone shall bear it. New Revised Standard Version If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleMy son, if you are wise, you are wise for yourself and for your friends; but if you are evil-minded, you alone shall bear your evils; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated My son, if you are wise, you are wise for yourself and for your friends, and if you will be evil, you alone will draw out your evils. The one who denies falsely, feeds on the winds and pursues a bird of the sky, for he has forsaken his service to travel in the desert without water, and from beside the path of his vineyard, and he forgets the trodden paths; he travels in thirst, and he will gather nothing! OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.' Brenton Septuagint Translation Son, if thou be wise for thyself, thou shalt also be wise for thy neighbours; and if thou shouldest prove wicked, thou alone wilt bear the evil. He that stays himself upon falsehoods, attempts to rule the winds, and the same will pursue birds in their fight: for he has forsaken the ways of his own vineyard, and he has caused the axles of his own husbandry to go astray; and he goes through a dry desert, and a land appointed to drought, and he gathers barrenness with his hands. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Way of Wisdom…11For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life. 12If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences. Cross References Galatians 6:7-8 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. / The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Job 22:2-3 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? / Does it delight the Almighty that you are righteous? Does He profit if your ways are blameless? Ezekiel 18:20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of the righteous man will fall upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked man will fall upon him. Romans 14:7-8 For none of us lives to himself alone, and none of us dies to himself alone. / If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 3:8 He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. James 1:5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ... 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Psalm 19:11 By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward. 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. Colossians 3:23-25 Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, / because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. / Whoever does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Matthew 25:1-13 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. / Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. / The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ... Ecclesiastes 10:12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. 1 Peter 3:13-14 Who can harm you if you are zealous for what is good? / But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.” Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word. Treasury of Scripture If you be wise, you shall be wise for yourself: but if you scorn, you alone shall bear it. Proverbs 16:26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him. Job 22:2,3,21 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? … Job 35:6,7 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? … Jump to Previous Alone Bear Bearest Full Heart Mock Mocker Pain Pride Reward Scoff Scorned Scornest Suffer Thyself Wisdom WiseJump to Next Alone Bear Bearest Full Heart Mock Mocker Pain Pride Reward Scoff Scorned Scornest Suffer Thyself Wisdom WiseProverbs 9 1. The discipline4. and the doctrine of wisdom 13. The custom 16. and error of folly If you are wise The Hebrew word for "wise" here is "חָכָם" (chakam), which implies not just possessing knowledge, but applying it skillfully in life. Wisdom in the biblical sense is deeply rooted in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). It is a practical, moral, and spiritual understanding that guides one's actions. In the ancient Near Eastern context, wisdom was highly valued and often associated with successful living and leadership. The phrase suggests that wisdom is a personal responsibility and benefit, emphasizing the individual nature of spiritual growth and understanding. you are wise to your own advantage but if you scoff you alone will bear the consequences Thou alone shalt bear it--i.e., its penalty. (Comp. Galatians 6:5.) Verse 12. - If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself. A transition verse. Wisdom will bring thee good; as thou hast laboured well, so will be thy reward (1 Corinthians 3:8). The LXX. (Syriac and Arabic), with the idea of perfecting the antithesis, adds, καὶ τοῖς πλησίον, "My son, if thou art wise for thyself, thou shalt be wise also for thy neighbours" - which contains the great truth that good gifts should not be selfishly enjoyed, but used and dispensed for the advantage of others (Galatians 6:6). In support of our text we may quote Job 22:2, "Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself." But if thou scornest, thou alone shalt hear it; i.e. atone for it, bear the sin, as it is expressed in Numbers 9:13, "Forevery man shall bear his own burden" (Galatians 6:5). Thus Wisdom ends her exhortation. Septuagint, "If thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear (ἀντλήσεις) evils." And then is added the following paragraph, which may possibly be derived from a Hebrew original, but seems more like a congeries made up from other passages, and foisted by some means into the Greek text: "He that stayeth himself on lies shepherdeth winds, and himself pursueth flying birds; for he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and hath gone astray with the wheels of his own husbandry; and he goeth through a waterless desert, and over a land set in thirsty places, and with his hands he gathereth unfruitfulness."Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Ifאִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not you are wise, חָ֭כַמְתָּ (ḥā·ḵam·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 2449: To be wise you are wise חָכַ֣מְתָּ (ḥā·ḵam·tā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 2449: To be wise to your own advantage; לָּ֑ךְ (lāḵ) Preposition | second person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew but if you scoff, וְ֝לַ֗צְתָּ (wə·laṣ·tā) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3887: Ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker you alone לְֽבַדְּךָ֥ (lə·ḇad·də·ḵā) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 905: Separation, a part of the body, branch of a, tree, bar for, carrying, chief of will bear [the consequences]. תִשָּֽׂא׃ (ṯiś·śā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take Links Proverbs 9:12 NIVProverbs 9:12 NLT Proverbs 9:12 ESV Proverbs 9:12 NASB Proverbs 9:12 KJV Proverbs 9:12 BibleApps.com Proverbs 9:12 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 9:12 Chinese Bible Proverbs 9:12 French Bible Proverbs 9:12 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 9:12 If you are wise you are wise (Prov. 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