King James Version

Proverbs 21:28

A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

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Hebrew

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עֵדedwitnessעֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “witness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5707concretely, a witness; abstractly, testimony; specifically, a recorder, i.e. princewitness.כְּזָבִ֥יםkezavimdeceitfulכָּזָבnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “deceitful”, the ordinary formH3577falsehood; literally (untruth) or figuratively (idol)deceitful, false, leasing, + liar, lie, lying.יֹאבֵ֑דyoveddestroyאָבַדverb, 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.וְאִ֥ישׁveishand a certainאִישׁconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…שׁ֝וֹמֵ֗עַshomeahearשָׁמַעverb, qal, participle, absolute — “hear”, a verb used as a describing wordH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…לָנֶ֥צַחlanetsachto alwayנֶצַחpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to alway”, the ordinary formH5331properly, a goal, i.e. the bright object at adistance travelled towards; hence (figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively) truthfulness, or (objectively) confidence; but usually (adverbially), continually (i.e. to the most distant point of view)alway(-s), constantly, end, ([phrase] n-) ever(more), perpetual, strength, victory.יְדַבֵּֽרyedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, an unfinished actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

A false witness shall perish; but the man that obeyeth shall speak unchallenged.

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 perish; But the man that heareth shall speak so as to endure.

Young’s Literal Translation

A false witness doth perish, And an attentive man for ever speaketh.

World English Bible

A false witness will perish. A man who listens speaks to eternity.

Darby Translation

A lying witness shall perish; and a man that heareth shall speak constantly.

Douay-Rheims

A lying witness shall perish: an obedient man shall speak of victory.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

A false witness shall perish; but the man that obeyeth shall speak unchallenged.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μάρτυς ψευδὴς ἀπολεῖται, ἀνὴρ δὲ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει.