◄ Proverbs 20:22 ►
Verse  (Click for Chapter)
New International Version
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

New Living Translation
Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the LORD to handle the matter.

English Standard Version
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.

King James Bible
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

New King James Version
Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

New American Standard Bible
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

NASB 1995
Do not say, “I will repay evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

NASB 1977
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Hope in Yahweh, and He will save you.

Amplified Bible
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; Wait [expectantly] for the LORD, and He will rescue and save you.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil! ” Wait on the LORD, and he will rescue you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will rescue you.

American Standard Version
Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee.

Contemporary English Version
Don't try to get even. Trust the LORD, and he will help you.

English Revised Version
Say not thou, I will recompense evil: wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do not say, "I'll get even with you!" Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

Good News Translation
Don't take it on yourself to repay a wrong. Trust the LORD and he will make it right.

International Standard Version
Don't say "I'll avenge that wrong!" Wait on the LORD and he will deliver you.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.

NET Bible
Do not say, "I will pay back evil!" Wait for the LORD, so that he may vindicate you.

New Heart English Bible
Do not say, "I will pay back evil." Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

Webster's Bible Translation
Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

World English Bible
Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not say, “I repay evil,” "" Wait for YHWH, and He delivers you.

Young's Literal Translation
Do not say, 'I recompense evil,' Wait for Jehovah, and He delivereth thee.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not say, I will requite evil; wait for Jehovah, he will save to thee.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord and he will deliver thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not say, “I will repay evil.” Wait for the Lord, and he will free you.

New American Bible
Do not say, “I will repay evil!” Wait for the LORD, who will help you.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the LORD, and he will help you.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Do not say, I will recompense evil; but wait for the LORD that he may save you.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Do not say, "I shall pay evil instead of good”, but wait for LORD JEHOVAH that he may save you.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Say not thou: 'I will requite evil'; Wait for the LORD, and He will save thee.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Say not, I will avenge myself on my enemy; but wait on the Lord, that he may help thee.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Wine is a Mocker
…21An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end. 22Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you. 23Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.…
Berean Standard Bible · Download


Cross References
Romans 12:19
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.”

Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”

Matthew 5:39-41
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; / if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; / and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Psalm 37:7-9
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men prosper in their ways, when they carry out wicked schemes. / Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm. / For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

1 Thessalonians 5:15
Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.

Luke 6:27-29
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. / If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.

Hebrews 10:30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”

Psalm 94:1
O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth.

Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

1 Samuel 26:10-11
David added, “As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him down; either his day will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. / But the LORD forbid that I should extend my hand against the LORD’s anointed. Instead, take the spear and water jug by his head, and let us go.”

Proverbs 24:29
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”

James 5:7-8
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. / You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.


Treasury of Scripture

Say not you, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save you.

I

Proverbs 17:13
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Proverbs 24:29
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

Deuteronomy 32:35
To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

wait

2 Samuel 6:12
And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

Psalm 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 37:34
Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

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Proverbs 20
1. Proper Living














Berean Study Bible
Do not say
This phrase begins with a direct command, urging the reader to refrain from a particular mindset or speech. In the Hebrew text, the word for "say" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is a common verb used throughout the Old Testament to denote speaking or declaring. The imperative form here suggests a strong admonition against verbalizing or even contemplating the subsequent thought. This reflects a broader biblical principle that our words and thoughts should align with God's will, emphasizing the power and responsibility of speech.

I will avenge this evil!
The desire for personal vengeance is addressed here. The Hebrew root for "avenge" is "נָקַם" (naqam), which means to take revenge or to punish. This reflects a natural human inclination to retaliate when wronged. However, the Bible consistently teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deuteronomy 32:35, Romans 12:19). The phrase "this evil" acknowledges the reality of wrongdoing and injustice, yet it calls the believer to resist the urge to repay evil with evil. Historically, the ancient Near Eastern cultures often practiced personal vengeance, but the biblical narrative calls for a higher standard of forgiveness and trust in divine justice.

Wait on the LORD
This phrase shifts the focus from human action to divine intervention. The Hebrew word for "wait" is "קָוָה" (qavah), which conveys a sense of hope, expectation, and trust. It is not a passive waiting but an active, faith-filled anticipation of God's timing and justice. The use of "the LORD" (YHWH) emphasizes the covenantal relationship between God and His people, reminding believers of His faithfulness and sovereignty. Throughout scripture, waiting on the Lord is associated with strength and renewal (Isaiah 40:31), underscoring the importance of patience and reliance on God's perfect plan.

and He will deliver you
The promise of deliverance is a recurring theme in the Bible. The Hebrew root for "deliver" is "יָשַׁע" (yasha), which means to save, rescue, or bring to safety. This assurance is not merely about physical rescue but encompasses spiritual salvation and vindication. The phrase underscores God's role as the ultimate protector and redeemer of His people. In the historical context of Israel, deliverance often came in unexpected ways, reinforcing the idea that God's methods and timing are beyond human understanding. This promise encourages believers to trust in God's justice and mercy, knowing that He is both willing and able to save those who rely on Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(22) Wait on the Lord and he shall save thee.--Do not look for vengeance on enemies (for they are to be forgiven), but for deliverance from their attacks; forget their malice, remember only God's love for thee, and trust in Him. (Comp. 1Peter 3:13, Romans 8:28.)

Pulpit Commentary
Verse 22. - Say not thou, I will recompense evil (Proverbs 24:29). The jus talonis is the natural feeling of man, to do to others as they have done unto you, to requite evil with evil. But the moralist teaches a better lesson, urging men not to study revenge, and approaching nearer to Christ's injunction, which gives the law of charity, "Whatsoever ye would (οπσα α}ν θέλητε) that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Matthew 7:12). The Christian rule is expounded fully by St. Paul (Romans 12:14, 17, etc). It was not unknown to the Jews; for we read in Tobit 4:15, "Do that to no man which thou hatest;" and Hillel enjoins, "Do not thou that to thy neighbour which thou hatest when it is done to thee." Even the heathens had excogitated this great principle. There is a saying of Aristotle, preserved by Diogenes Laertius, "Act towards your friends as you would wish them to act towards you." The Chinese have a proverb, "Water does not remain on the mountain, or vengeance in a great mind." Wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee. The pious writer urges the injured person to commit his cause to the Lord, not in the hope of seeing vengeance taken on his enemy, but in the certainty that God will help him to bear the wrong and deliver him in his own good time and way. The Christian takes St. Peter's view, "Who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is good?" (1 Peter 3:13), knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28; comp. Ecclus. 2:2, 6). Septuagint, "Say not, I will avenge myself on my enemy, but wait on the Lord, that (ἵνα) he may help thee." The last clause may be grammatically rendered thus, but it is more in accordance with the spirit st' the proverb, as Delitzsch observes, to regard it as a promise. Vulgate, et liberabit te.

Parallel Commentaries ...


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

say,
תֹּאמַ֥ר (tō·mar)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I will avenge
אֲשַׁלְּמָה־ (’ă·šal·lə·māh-)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular
Strong's 7999: To be safe, to be, completed, to be friendly, to reciprocate

this evil!”
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

Wait
קַוֵּ֥ה (qaw·wêh)
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6960: To bind together, collect, to expect

on the LORD,
לַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and He will deliver
וְיֹ֣שַֽׁע (wə·yō·ša‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

you.
לָֽךְ׃ (lāḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 20:22 Don't say I will pay back evil (Prov. Pro Pr)
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