Proverbs 29

For people who hate discipline
    and only get more stubborn,
There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break,
    but by then it’ll be too late to help them.

Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism
    will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

When good people run things, everyone is glad,
    but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.

When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
    But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

If you love wisdom, you’ll delight your parents,
    but you’ll destroy their trust if you run with whores.

The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
    but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

A leader of good judgment gives stability;
    an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste.

A just king gives stability to his nation,
    but one who demands bribes destroys it.

A flattering neighbor is up to no good;
    he’s probably planning to take advantage of you.

To flatter friends
    is to lay a trap for their feet.

Evil people fall into their own traps;
    good people run the other way, glad to escape.

Evil people are trapped by sin,
    but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

The good-hearted understand what it’s like to be poor;
    the hardhearted haven’t the faintest idea.

The godly care about the rights of the poor;
    the wicked don’t care at all.

A gang of cynics can upset a whole city;
    a group of sages can calm everyone down.

Mockers can get a whole town agitated,
    but the wise will calm anger.

A sage trying to work things out with a fool
    gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.

If a wise person takes a fool to court,
    there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

Murderers hate honest people;
    moral folks encourage them.

The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,
    but the upright seek to help them.^[a]

A fool lets it all hang out;
    a sage quietly mulls it over.

Fools vent their anger,
    but the wise quietly hold it back.

When a leader listens to malicious gossip,
    all the workers get infected with evil.

If a ruler pays attention to liars,
    all his advisers will be wicked.

The poor and their abusers have at least something in common:
    they can both see—their sight, God’s gift!

The poor and the oppressor have this in common—
    the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

Leadership gains authority and respect
    when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.

If a king judges the poor fairly,
    his throne will last forever.

Wise discipline imparts wisdom;
    spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.

To discipline a child produces wisdom,
    but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.

When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild,
    but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.

When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,
    but the godly will live to see their downfall.

Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did—
    they’ll turn out delightful to live with.

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind
    and will make your heart glad.

If people can’t see what God is doing,
    they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
    they are most blessed.

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
    But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

It takes more than talk to keep workers in line;
    mere words go in one ear and out the other.

Words alone will not discipline a servant;
    the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.

Observe the people who always talk before they think—
    even simpletons are better off than they are.

There is more hope for a fool
    than for someone who speaks without thinking.

If you let people treat you like a doormat,
    you’ll be quite forgotten in the end.

A servant pampered from childhood
    will become a rebel.

Angry people stir up a lot of discord;
    the intemperate stir up trouble.

An angry person starts fights;
    a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

Pride lands you flat on your face;
    humility prepares you for honors.

Pride ends in humiliation,
    while humility brings honor.

Befriend an outlaw
    and become an enemy to yourself.
When the victims cry out,
    you’ll be included in their curses
    if you’re a coward to their cause in court.

If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.
    You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.

The fear of human opinion disables;
    trusting in God protects you from that.

Fearing people is a dangerous trap,
    but trusting the Lord means safety.

Everyone tries to get help from the leader,
    but only God will give us justice.

Many seek the ruler’s favor,
    but justice comes from the Lord.

Good people can’t stand the sight of deliberate evil;
    the wicked can’t stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.