King James Version

Proverbs 21:18

The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

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Hebrew

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כֹּ֣פֶרkofervillageכֹּפֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “village”, the ordinary formH3724properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-pricebribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.לַצַּדִּ֣יקlatsadiqto justצַדִּיקpreposition, with the article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to just”, the ordinary formH6662justjust, lawful, righteous (man).רָשָׁ֑עrashaguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.וְתַ֖חַתvetachatand withתַּחַתconjunction, preposition — “and with”H8478the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc.as, beneath, [idiom] flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, [idiom] unto, [idiom] when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.יְשָׁרִ֣יםyesharimstraightיָשָׁרadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “straight”, the ordinary formH3477straight (literally or figuratively)convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet(-est), [phrase] pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).בּוֹגֵֽדbogeddeal deceitfullyבָּגַדverb, qal, participle, absolute — “deal deceitfully”, a verb used as a describing wordH898to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillagedeal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), [idiom] very.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; and the faithless cometh in the stead of the upright.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.

Young’s Literal Translation

The wicked [is] an atonement for the righteous, And for the upright the treacherous dealer.

World English Bible

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, the treacherous for the upright.

Darby Translation

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and a treacherous [man] in the stead of the upright.

Douay-Rheims

The wicked is delivered up for the just: and the unjust for the righteous.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The wicked is a ransom for the righteous; and the faithless cometh in the stead of the upright.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and a transgressor is the abomination of a righteous man.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Περικάθαρμα δὲ δικαίου ἄνομος.