This verse again contrasts “righteous” and “wicked”, but in reverse order to verse 2.

“The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry”: For “Lord” see 1.7. “The righteous” is literally “soul of the righteous [singular].” This may refer to upright people, but some take it to mean “the appetite of the righteous,” as Hebrew nefesh (“soul”) is sometimes understood to mean “throat.” “Go hungry” translates the verb form meaning to cause hunger or to cause people to starve.

“But he thwarts the craving of the wicked”: “Thwarts” renders a verb meaning to push away or to prevent someone from getting what they want. In the Hebrew word order this word comes at the end of the second line and supplies the punch word in contrast to not causing to go hungry in the beginning of the first line. “Craving” renders a general word for desire or want, but is to be taken in a bad sense, that is, an evil or selfish desire. This saying states that the Lord does not let good people starve and moreover he prevents wicked people from getting their evil wishes. While “the wicked” is plural in this line, “the righteous” is singular in the first line; however, no contrast is intended on the basis of number. Some translations begin this line in a way that is parallel with line 1: “And he does not let the wicked get. . ..”

You may find it best to translate this verse as direct address as in Contemporary English Version: “If you obey the Lord, you won’t go hungry; if you are wicked, God won’t let you have what you want.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .