11:19

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

19a
Genuine righteousness leads to life,

19b but the pursuit of evil brings death.

11:19a

Genuine righteousness leads to life: Scholars do not agree on the meaning of the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Genuine. Most versions understand the Hebrew text to mean that righteousness (emphasized in some way) leads to life. The word life probably implies a long and prosperous life, as it normally does in Proverbs. Some other ways to translate this line are:

Anyone who is determined to do right will live (Good News Translation)
-or-
The truly righteous man attains life (New International Version)
-or-
Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live (New Revised Standard Version)

11:19b

but the pursuit of evil brings death: In Hebrew, the phrase pursuit of evil means the “deliberate/persistent choice of evil behavior.” The phrase brings death indicates that when a person pursues evil, it results in ⌊a premature or unhappy⌋ death. Some other ways to translate this line are:

but to pursue evil leads to death (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
but anyone who insists on doing wrong will die (Good News Translation)

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