Proverbs 29

A man who hardens his neck after much reproof
Will suddenly be broken ^[a]beyond remedy.

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.

When the righteous ^[b]increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked man rules, people groan.

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

A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

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

The king gives stability to the land by justice,
But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.

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

A man who flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.

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

By transgression an evil man is ensnared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

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

The righteous ^[c]is concerned for the rights of the poor,
The wicked does not understand such ^[d]concern.

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

Scorners set a city aflame,
But wise men turn away anger.

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

When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,
^[e]The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.

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

Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,
But the upright ^[f]are concerned for his life.

Murderers hate honest people;
    moral folks encourage them.

A fool ^[g]always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back.

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

If a ruler pays attention to falsehood,
All his ministers become wicked.

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

The poor man and the oppressor ^[h]have this in common:
The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

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

If a king judges the poor with truth,
His throne will be established forever.

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

The rod and reproof give wisdom,
But a child ^[i]who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

Wise discipline imparts wisdom;
    spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.

When the wicked ^[j]increase, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see their fall.

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

Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;
He will also ^[k]delight your soul.

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

Where there is no ^[l]vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.

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.

A slave will not be instructed by words alone;
For though he understands, there will be no response.

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

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

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

He who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be a son.

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

An angry man stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

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

A man’s pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

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

He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He hears the oath but tells nothing.

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.

The fear of man ^[m]brings a snare,
But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

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

Many seek the ruler’s ^[n]favor,
But justice for man comes from the Lord.

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

An unjust man is abominable to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.