“wicked…righteous.” “Wicked” and “righteous” are the lexical meanings of the Hebrew words, and the proverb is true as it is worded. However, it is also true that in a legal context, which might include this verse, the word “wicked” means “guilty,” and the word “righteous” means “innocent.” In that case, the proverb would be like the NIV translation, “Whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent’…”