King James Version

Proverbs 10:20

The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

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Hebrew

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כֶּ֣סֶףkesefmoneyכֶּסֶףnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “money”, the ordinary formH3701silver (from its pale color); by implication, moneymoney, price, silver(-ling).נִ֭בְחָרnivcharacceptableבָּחַרverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “acceptable”, a verb used as a describing wordH977properly, to try, i.e. (by implication) selectacceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.לְשׁ֣וֹןleshontongueלָשׁוֹןnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “tongue”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3956the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.צַדִּ֑יקtsadiqjustצַדִּיקadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “just”, the ordinary formH6662justjust, lawful, righteous (man).לֵ֖בlevcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “comfortably”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…רְשָׁעִ֣יםreshaimguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.כִּמְעָֽטkimatas littleמְעַטpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “as little”, the ordinary formH4592a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, [idiom] very.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.

Young’s Literal Translation

The tongue of the righteous [is] chosen silver, The heart of the wicked — as a little thing.

World English Bible

The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

Darby Translation

The tongue of the righteous [man] is [as] choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Douay-Rheims

The tongue of the just is as choice silver: but the heart of the wicked is nothing worth.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The tongue of the just is tried silver; but the heart of the ungodly shall fail.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἄργυρος πεπυρωμένος γλῶσσα δικαίου, καρδία δὲ ἀσεβοῦς ἐκλείψει.