King James Version

Proverbs 29:12

If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

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Hebrew

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מֹ֭שֵׁלmoshelruleמָשַׁלverb, qal, participle, absolute — “rule”, a verb used as a describing wordH4910to rule(have, make to have) dominion, governor, [idiom] indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.מַקְשִׁ֣יבmaqshivattendקָשַׁבverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “attend”, a verb used as a describing wordH7181to prick up the ears, i.e. hearkenattend, (cause to) hear(-ken), give heed, incline, mark (well), regard.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…דְּבַרdevarcauseדָּבָרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “cause”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a causeact, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dea…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.כָּֽלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).מְשָׁרְתָ֥יוmesharetayvministerשָׁרַתverb, piel, participle, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “minister”, a verb used as a describing wordH8334to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute tominister (unto), (do) serve(-ant, -ice, -itor), wait on.רְשָׁעִֽיםreshaimguiltyרָשָׁעadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “guilty”, the ordinary formH7563morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person[phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, all his servants are wicked.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, All his servants are wicked.

Young’s Literal Translation

A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers [are] wicked.

World English Bible

If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

Darby Translation

If a ruler hearken to lying words, all his servants are wicked.

Douay-Rheims

A prince that gladly heareth lying words, hath all his servants wicked.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, all his servants are wicked.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

When a king hearkens to unjust language, all his subjects are transgressors.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Βασιλέως ὑπακούοντος λόγον ἄδικον, πάντες οἱ ὑπʼ αὐτὸν παράνομοι.