Proverbs 29
29
1A person who will not bend after many warnings
will suddenly be broken beyond repair.
2When righteous people increase, the people ⌞of God⌟ rejoice,
but when a wicked person rules, everybody groans.
3A person who loves wisdom makes his father happy,
but one who pays prostitutes wastes his wealth.
4By means of justice, a king builds up a country,
but a person who confiscates religious contributions tears it down.
5A person who flatters his neighbor
is spreading a net for him to step into.
6To an evil person sin is bait in a trap,
but a righteous person runs away from it and is glad.
7A righteous person knows the just cause of the poor.
A wicked person does not understand this.
8Mockers create an uproar in a city,
but wise people turn away anger.
9When a wise person goes to court with a stubborn fool,
he may rant and rave,
but there is no peace and quiet.
10Bloodthirsty people hate an innocent person,
but decent people seek ⌞to protect⌟ his life.
11A fool expresses all his emotions,
but a wise person controls them.
12If a ruler pays attention to lies,
all his servants become wicked.
13A poor person and an oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives both of them sight.
14When a king judges the poor with honesty,
his throne will always be secure.
15A spanking and a warning produce wisdom,
but an undisciplined child disgraces his mother.
16When wicked people increase, crime increases,
but righteous people will witness their downfall.
17Correct your son, and he will give you peace of mind.
He will bring delight to your soul.
18Without prophetic vision people run wild,
but blessed are those who follow ⌞God’s⌟ teachings.
19A slave cannot be disciplined with words.
He will not respond, though he may understand.
20Have you met a person who is quick to answer?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21Pamper a slave from childhood,
and later he will be ungrateful.
22An angry person stirs up a fight,
and a hothead does much wrong.
23A person’s pride will humiliate him,
but a humble spirit gains honor.
24Whoever is a thief’s partner hates his own life.
He will not testify under oath.
25A person’s fear sets a trap ⌞for him⌟,
but one who trusts the Lord is safe.
26Many seek an audience with a ruler,
but justice for humanity comes from the Lord.
27An unjust person is disgusting to righteous people.
A decent person is disgusting to wicked people.
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Proverbs 29: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 29
29
If People Can’t See What God Is Doing
1For 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.
2When good people run things, everyone is glad,
but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans.
3If you love wisdom, you’ll delight your parents,
but you’ll destroy their trust if you run with prostitutes.
4A leader of good judgment gives stability;
an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste.
5A flattering neighbor is up to no good;
he’s probably planning to take advantage of you.
6Evil people fall into their own traps;
good people run the other way, glad to escape.
7The good-hearted understand what it’s like to be poor;
the hardhearted haven’t the faintest idea.
8A gang of cynics can upset a whole city;
a group of sages can calm everyone down.
9A sage trying to work things out with a fool
gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble.
10Murderers hate honest people;
moral folks encourage them.
11A fool lets it all hang out;
a sage quietly mulls it over.
12When a leader listens to malicious gossip,
all the workers get infected with evil.
13The poor and their abusers have at least something in common:
they can both see—their sight, God’s gift!
14Leadership gains authority and respect
when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.
15Wise discipline imparts wisdom;
spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.
16When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild,
but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse.
17Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did—
they’ll turn out delightful to live with.
18If 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.
19It takes more than talk to keep workers in line;
mere words go in one ear and out the other.
20Observe the people who always talk before they think—
even simpletons are better off than they are.
21If you let people treat you like a doormat,
you’ll be quite forgotten in the end.
22Angry people stir up a lot of discord;
the intemperate stir up trouble.
23Pride lands you flat on your face;
humility prepares you for honors.
24Befriend 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.
25The fear of human opinion disables;
trusting in God protects you from that.
26Everyone tries to get help from the leader,
but only God will give us justice.
27Good people can’t stand the sight of deliberate evil;
the wicked can’t stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.