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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Proverbs 29: MSG
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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.
Proverbs 29
29
1One who stays stubborn after many corrections
will be suddenly broken, beyond healing.
2When the righteous become numerous, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked dominate, the people moan.
3A man who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
but one who spends time with prostitutes destroys riches.
4A king gives stability to the land by justice,
but one who imposes heavy taxes tears it down.
5People who flatter their friends
spread out a net for their feet.
6The wicked are snared by their own sin;#29.6 Tg, Syr; MT In the sin of an evil man is a snare
the righteous sing and rejoice.
7The righteous know the rights of the poor,
but the wicked don’t understand.
8Mockers set a city on fire,
but the wise turn back anger.
9When the wise make a legal charge against the foolish,
the fools shout, they laugh—there is no calm.
10Murderous people hate the innocent,
and they seek the lives of the virtuous.
11Fools show all their anger,
but the wise hold it back.
12If a ruler listens to lies,
those who serve him will be wicked.
13The poor and their oppressors have a common bond—
the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
14If a king judges the poor honestly,
his throne will be established forever.
15The rod and correction lead to wisdom,
but children out of control shame their mothers.
16When the wicked become numerous, so do crimes;
the righteous will see their downfall.
17Instruct your children; they will give you peace of mind
and bring delight into your life.
18When there’s no vision, the people get out of control,
but whoever obeys instruction is happy.
19Servants aren’t disciplined by words;
they might understand, but they don’t respond.
20Do you see people who are quick to speak?
There is more hope for fools than for them.
21Pamper servants from a young age,
and later on there will be trouble.
22Angry people stir up conflict;
hotheads cause much offense.
23Pride lays people low,
but those of humble spirit gain honor.
24Those who share plunder with thieves hate themselves;
even under oath, they don’t testify.
25People are trapped by their fear of others;
those who trust the LORD are secure.
26Many seek access to the ruler,
but justice comes from the LORD.
27The unjust person is disgusting to the righteous;
the straight path is disgusting to the wicked.
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