King James Version

Proverbs 19:9

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

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Hebrew

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עֵ֣דedwitnessעֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “witness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5707concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. princewitness.שְׁ֭קָרִיםsheqarimwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “without a cause”, the ordinary formH8267an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִנָּקֶ֑הyinaqehbe blamelessנָקָהverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be blameless”, an unfinished actionH5352to be (or make) clean (literally or figuratively); by implication (in an adverse sense) to be bare, i.e. extirpatedacquit [idiom] at all, [idiom] altogether, be blameless, cleanse, (be) clear(-ing), cut off, be desolate, be free, be (hold) guiltless, be (hold) innocent, [idiom] by no means, be quit, be (leave) unpunished, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] wholl…וְיָפִ֖יחַveyafichaand blowפּוּחַconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and blow”, an unfinished actionH6315to puff, i.e. blow with the breath or air; hence, to fan (as a breeze), to utter, to kindle (a fire), to scoffblow (upon), break, puff, bring into a snare, speak, utter.כְּזָבִ֣יםkezavimdeceitfulכָּזָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “deceitful”, the ordinary formH3577falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively (idol)deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.יֹאבֵֽדyoveddestroyאָבַדverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH6properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that breatheth forth lies shall perish.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.

Young’s Literal Translation

A false witness is not acquitted, And whoso breatheth out lies perisheth.

World English Bible

A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

Darby Translation

A false witness shall not be held innocent, and he that uttereth lies shall perish.

Douay-Rheims

A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall perish.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A false witness shall not be unpunished; and he that breatheth forth lies shall perish.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A false witness shall not be unpunished; and whosoever shall kindle mischief shall perish by it.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μάρτυς ψευδὴς οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται, ὃς δʼ ἂν ἐκκαύσῃ κακίαν, ἀπολεῖται ὑπʼ αὐτῆς.