“Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed”: This verse is the reason for the warning just given. “Lest” introduces a possibility that is undesirable, to be avoided; New Revised Standard Version expresses this element as “or else they will. . ..” New Jerusalem Bible has “for fear that. . .,” and Revised English Bible “If they drink, they will. . ..” “What has been decreed” is taken by some to refer to the laws: “forget the laws” (Good News Translation), “forget what the law decrees” (New International Version). Others express it more generally; for instance, “forget his duty” (Scott), “forget your responsibilities” (Contemporary English Version).

“And pervert the rights of all the afflicted”: This is the second undesirable outcome of a king’s drinking. “Pervert” renders a Hebrew verb meaning to “change” or “alter,” but in this context it clearly has a negative sense of taking away the rights of defenseless people. Revised English Bible expresses this as “twist the law against,” Scott “deny the rights of,” and Good News Translation “ignore the rights of.” Contemporary English Version uses more general language with “mistreat the poor.” “The rights of all the afflicted” uses almost the same Hebrew words as in verse 9 (“the rights of the poor”). For “rights” see 29.7, and for “afflicted” see 15.15. Here “all the afflicted” is the idiom “all the sons of affliction.” In some languages the line is expressed as “and they do not do what is right towards poor people.”

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 .