Proverbs 3:31
New International Version
Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.

New Living Translation
Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways.

English Standard Version
Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways,

Berean Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

King James Bible
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

New King James Version
Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways;

New American Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent person, And do not choose any of his ways.

NASB 1995
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

NASB 1977
Do not envy a man of violence, And do not choose any of his ways.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

Amplified Bible
Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

American Standard Version
Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.

Contemporary English Version
Don't be jealous of cruel people or follow their example.

English Revised Version
Envy thou not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do not envy a violent person. Do not choose any of his ways.

Good News Translation
Don't be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do,

International Standard Version
Do not envy a violent man, and do not emulate his lifestyle.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways;

NET Bible
Do not envy a violent man, and do not choose to imitate any of his ways;

New Heart English Bible
Do not envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

Webster's Bible Translation
Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

World English Bible
Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not be envious of a man of violence, "" Nor fix on any of his ways.

Young's Literal Translation
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not envy against a man of violence, and thou shalt choose in all his ways.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.

New American Bible
Do not envy the violent and choose none of their ways:

New Revised Standard Version
Do not envy the violent and do not choose any of their ways;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Do not envy a wicked man, and choose none of his ways.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And do not envy an evil man, neither desire any of his ways;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Procure not the reproaches of bad men, neither do thou covet their ways.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Blessings of Wisdom
30Do not accuse a man without cause, when he has done you no harm. 31Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways; 32for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.…

Cross References
Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

Psalm 37:1-2
Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. / For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.

Psalm 73:3
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Proverbs 24:1-2
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; / for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.

Proverbs 24:19-20
Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked. / For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.

Isaiah 3:11
Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

Isaiah 41:11
Behold, all who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and will perish.

Jeremiah 12:1-2
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? / You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.

Habakkuk 1:13
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Malachi 3:15
So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:44-45
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, / that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Luke 6:27-28
But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, / bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Romans 12:19-21
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” / On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.


Treasury of Scripture

Envy you not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

envy

Proverbs 23:17
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

Proverbs 24:1,19,20
Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them…

Psalm 37:1,7-9
A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity…

the oppressor

Ecclesiastes 5:8
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

choose

Proverbs 1:15-18
My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: …

Proverbs 2:12-15
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; …

Proverbs 12:12
The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

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Proverbs 3
1. various exhortations
13. The gain of wisdom
27. Exhortation to goodness
33. the different state of the wicked and upright














Do not envy
The Hebrew word for "envy" is "קָנָא" (qanah), which conveys a sense of jealousy or zeal. In the context of Proverbs, this is a warning against coveting the success or lifestyle of those who achieve their ends through violence or unethical means. Envy is a destructive emotion that can lead one away from the path of righteousness. Biblically, envy is often associated with a lack of trust in God's provision and timing. The call here is to find contentment in God's ways and to trust that His plans are ultimately for our good.

a violent man
The term "violent" comes from the Hebrew word "חָמָס" (chamas), which means violence, wrong, or cruelty. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to describe actions that are contrary to God's nature and law. A "violent man" is one who uses force or aggression to achieve his goals, often at the expense of others. Historically, such individuals might have been admired for their power or feared for their ruthlessness, but the wisdom of Proverbs warns against such admiration. The Bible consistently portrays violence as a characteristic of the wicked, contrasting it with the peace and justice that God desires.

or choose
The Hebrew word "בָּחַר" (bachar) means to select or decide. This word implies a deliberate decision or preference. The verse warns against making a conscious choice to follow the path of violence. In the biblical context, choosing is an act of the will that reflects one's values and priorities. The call here is to make choices that align with God's wisdom and righteousness, rather than being swayed by the apparent success of those who act unjustly.

any of his ways
The word "ways" is translated from the Hebrew "דֶּרֶךְ" (derek), which means path, road, or journey. In Proverbs, "ways" often refers to one's conduct or manner of life. The verse cautions against adopting the lifestyle or methods of a violent person. The "ways" of a violent man are contrary to the "ways" of wisdom, which are characterized by peace, integrity, and trust in God. The broader scriptural context emphasizes that the end of such ways is destruction, while the ways of the righteous lead to life and blessing.

Verse 31. - Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. The thought of strife in the preceding verse leads to that of oppression, and the precept is directed against fellowship with those who outrage the general law of benevolence and justice, Envy not; i.e. as Stuart, "Do not anxiously covet the booty which men of violence acquire." Success and wealth may follow from severity and extortion, but the man who acquires prosperity by these means is not to be envied even by the victim of his oppression (for the verb, see Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 24:1, 19). The oppressor (ish khamas); literally, a man of violence (see margin). The expression occurs in Proverbs 14:29; Psalm 18:41, and in its plural form, ish khamamim, "man of violences," in 2 Samuel 22:49; Psalm 140:1, 4. The man of violence is one who "grinds the faces of the poor," and whose conduct is rapacious, violent, and unjust. And choose none of his ways; literally, and choose not all his ways, i.e. with a view to acquire the same wealth, greatness, and power. The LXX. renders this verse, "Do not acquire the hatred of evil men, neither be jealous of their ways," evidently from having taken tiv'khar, "choose," in the second hemistich, for tith'khan, "be jealous."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

envy
תְּ֭קַנֵּא (tə·qan·nê)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7065: To be, zealous, jealous, envious

a violent
חָמָ֑ס (ḥā·mās)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2555: Violence, wrong, by meton, unjust gain

man
בְּאִ֣ישׁ (bə·’îš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

or choose
תִּ֝בְחַ֗ר (tiḇ·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

any
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

of his ways;
דְּרָכָֽיו׃ (də·rā·ḵāw)
Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 3:31 Don't envy the man of violence (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 3:30
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