King James Version

Proverbs 21:6

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

פֹּ֣עַלpoalactפֹּעַלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “act”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6467an act or work (concretely)act, deed, do, getting, maker, work.א֭וֹצָרוֹתotsarotarmoryאוֹצָרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “armory”, the ordinary formH214a depositoryarmory, cellar, garner, store(-house), treasure(-house) (-y).בִּלְשׁ֣וֹןbilshonin tongueלָשׁוֹןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in 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.שָׁ֑קֶרshaqerwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, 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.הֶ֥בֶלhevelvanityהֶבֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “vanity”, the ordinary formH1892emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb[idiom] altogether, vain, vanity.נִ֝דָּ֗ףnidafdriveנָדַףverb, niphal, participle, absolute — “drive”, a verb used as a describing wordH5086to shove asunder, i.e. dispersedrive (away, to and fro), thrust down, shaken, tossed to and fro.מְבַקְשֵׁיmevaqshebeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, participle, construct — “beseech”, a verb used as a describing wordH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).מָֽוֶתmavetdeadמָוֶתnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “dead”, the ordinary formH4194death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin(be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vapour driven to and fro; they that seek them seek death.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.

Young’s Literal Translation

The making of treasures by a lying tongue, [Is] a vanity driven away of those seeking death.

World English Bible

Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.

Darby Translation

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting breath of them that seek death.

Douay-Rheims

He that gathereth treasures by a lying tongue, is vain and foolish, and shall stumble upon the snares of death.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vapour driven to and fro; they that seek them seek death.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity on to the snares of death.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὁ ἐνεργῶν θησαυρίσματα γλώσσῃ ψευδεῖ, μάταια διώκει ἐπὶ παγίδας θανάτου.