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
1A man often reproved, hardening the neck, Is suddenly broken, and there is no healing.
2In the multiplying of the righteous the people rejoice, And in the ruling of the wicked the people sigh.
3A man loving wisdom rejoiceth his father, And a friend of harlots destroyeth wealth.
4A king by judgment establisheth a land, And one receiving gifts throweth it down.
5A man taking a portion above his neighbour, Spreadeth a net for his own steps.
6In the transgression of the evil [is] a snare, And the righteous doth sing and rejoice.
7The righteous knoweth the plea of the poor, The wicked understandeth not knowledge.
8Men of scorning ensnare a city, And the wise turn back anger.
9A wise man is judged by the foolish man, And he hath been angry, And he hath laughed, and there is no rest.
10Men of blood hate the perfect, And the upright seek his soul.
11A fool bringeth out all his mind, And the wise till afterwards restraineth it.
12A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers [are] wicked.
13The poor and the man of frauds have met together, Jehovah is enlightening the eyes of them both.
14A king that is judging truly the poor, His throne for ever is established.
15A rod and reproof give wisdom, And a youth let away is shaming his mother.
16In the multiplying of the wicked transgression multiplieth, And the righteous on their fall do look.
17Chastise thy son, and he giveth thee comfort, Yea, he giveth delights to thy soul.
18Without a Vision is a people made naked, And whoso is keeping the law, O his happiness!
19By words a servant is not instructed though he understand, And there is nothing answering.
20Thou hast seen a man hasty in his words! More hope of a fool than of him.
21Whoso is bringing up his servant delicately, from youth, [At] his latter end also he is continuator.
22An angry man stirreth up contention, And a furious man is multiplying transgression.
23The pride of man humbleth him, And humility of spirit upholdeth honour.
24Whoso is sharing with a thief is hating his own soul, Execration he heareth, and telleth not.
25Fear of man causeth a snare, And the confident in Jehovah is set on high.
26Many are seeking the face of a ruler, And from Jehovah [is] the judgment of each.
27An abomination to the righteous [is] the perverse man, And an abomination to the wicked [is] the upright in the way!
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