King James Version

Proverbs 9:8

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

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Hebrew

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אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תּ֣וֹכַחtokhachargueיָכַחverb, hiphil, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “argue”, a wish or indirect commandH3198to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convictappoint, argue, chasten, convince, correct(-ion), daysman, dispute, judge, maintain, plead, reason (together), rebuke, reprove(-r), surely, in any wise.לֵ֭ץletsmake a mockלוּץadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “make a mock”, the ordinary formH3887properly, to make mouths at, i.e. to scoff; hence (from the effort to pronounce a foreign language) to interpret, or (generally) intercedeambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mocker, scorn(-er, -ful), teacher.פֶּןpenthat...notפֵּןconjunction — “that...not”H6435properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest(lest) (peradventure), that...not.יִשְׂנָאֶ֑ךָּyisnaekahateשָׂנֵאverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hate”, an unfinished actionH8130to hate (personally)enemy, foe, (be) hate(-ful, -r), odious, [idiom] utterly.הוֹכַ֥חhokhachargueיָכַחverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “argue”, a commandH3198to be right (i.e. correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convictappoint, argue, chasten, convince, correct(-ion), daysman, dispute, judge, maintain, plead, reason (together), rebuke, reprove(-r), surely, in any wise.לְ֝חָכָ֗םlechakhamto wise , manחָכָםpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “to wise , man”, the ordinary formH2450wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).וְיֶאֱהָבֶֽךָּveyeehavekaand loveאָהַבconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “and love”, an unfinished actionH157to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)(be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee: Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

Young’s Literal Translation

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

World English Bible

Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise person, and he will love you.

Darby Translation

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise [man], and he will love thee.

Douay-Rheims

Rebuke not a scorner lest he hate thee. Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Rebuke not evil men , lest they should hate thee: rebuke a wise man , and he will love thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Μὴ ἔλεγχε κακοὺς, ἵνα μὴ μισήσωσί σε· ἔλεγχε σοφὸν, καὶ ἀγαπήσει σε.