King James Version

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

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Hebrew

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תּוֹחֶ֣לֶתtochelethopeתּוֹחֶלֶתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “hope”, the ordinary formH8431expectationhope.מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָהmemushakhahdrawמָשַׁךְverb, pual, passive participle, absolute — “draw”, a verb used as a describing wordH4900to draw, used in a great variety of applications (including to sow, to sound, to prolong, to develop, to march, to remove, to delay, to be tall, etc.)draw (along, out), continue, defer, extend, forbear, [idiom] give, handle, make (pro-, sound) long, [idiom] sow, scatter, stretch out.מַחֲלָהmachalahbe grievedחָלָהverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “be grieved”, a verb used as a describing wordH2470properly, to be rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak, sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreatbeseech, (be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous, infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, [idiom] pray, make prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit ([idiom] supplication), woman in travail, be (become) we…לֵ֑בlevcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “comfortably”, the ordinary formH3820the 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]…וְעֵ֥ץveetsand treeעֵץconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and tree”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6086a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)[phrase] carpenter, gallows, helve, [phrase] pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.חַ֝יִּ֗יםchayimlifeחַיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “life”, the ordinary formH2416alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or living thing), whether literally or figuratively[phrase] age, alive, appetite, (wild) beast, company, congregation, life(-time), live(-ly), living (creature, thing), maintenance, [phrase] merry, multitude, [phrase] (be) old, quick, raw, running, springing, troop.תַּאֲוָ֥הtaavahdaintyתַּאֲוָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “dainty”, the ordinary formH8378a longing; by implication, a delight (subjectively, satisfaction, objectively, a charm)dainty, desire, [idiom] exceedingly, [idiom] greedily, lust(ing), pleasant. See also H6914 (קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה).בָאָֽהvaahto comeבּוֹאverb, qal, participle, absolute — “to come”, a verb used as a describing wordH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Young’s Literal Translation

Hope prolonged is making the heart sick, And a tree of life [is] the coming desire.

World English Bible

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

Darby Translation

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but the desire [that] cometh to pass is a tree of life.

Douay-Rheims

Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul: desire when it cometh is a tree of life.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Better is he that begins to help heartily, than he that promises and leads another to hope: for a good desire is a tree of life.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Κρείσσων ἐναρχόμενος βοηθῶν καρδίᾳ, τοῦ ἐπαγγελλομένου καὶ εἰς ἐλπίδα ἄγοντος· δένδρον γὰρ ζωῆς, ἐπιθυμία ἀγαθή.