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Proverbs 27

 ¹ Do not boast about tomorrow,
       for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

 ² Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;
       someone else, and not your own lips.

 ³ Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
       but provocation by a fool is heavier than both.

 ⁴ Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
       but who can stand before jealousy?

 ⁵ Better is open rebuke
       than hidden love.

 ⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
       but an enemy multiplies kisses.

 ⁷ He who is full loathes honey,
       but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

 ⁸ Like a bird that strays from its nest
       is a man who strays from his home.

 ⁹ Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
       and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.

 ¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father,
       and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you—
       better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

 ¹¹ Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
       then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

 ¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge,
       but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

 ¹³ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
       hold it in pledge if he does it for a wayward woman.

 ¹⁴ If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning,
       it will be taken as a curse.

 ¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is like
       a constant dripping on a rainy day;

 ¹⁶ restraining her is like restraining the wind
       or grasping oil with the hand.

 ¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
       so one man sharpens another.

 ¹⁸ He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
       and he who looks after his master will be honored.

 ¹⁹ As water reflects a face,
       so a man's heart reflects the man.

 ²⁰ Death and Destruction ^[a] are never satisfied,
       and neither are the eyes of man.

 ²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
       but man is tested by the praise he receives.

 ²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
       grinding him like grain with a pestle,
       you will not remove his folly from him.

 ²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
       give careful attention to your herds;

 ²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
       and a crown is not secure for all generations.

 ²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
       and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

 ²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
       and the goats with the price of a field.

 ²⁷ You will have plenty of goats' milk
       to feed you and your family
       and to nourish your servant girls.

Proverbs 28

 ¹ The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
       but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

 ² When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
       but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.

 ³ A ruler ^[b] who oppresses the poor
       is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

 ⁴ Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
       but those who keep the law resist them.

 ⁵ Evil men do not understand justice,
       but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.

 ⁶ Better a poor man whose walk is blameless
       than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

 ⁷ He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
       but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.

 ⁸ He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest
       amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.

 ⁹ If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,
       even his prayers are detestable.

 ¹⁰ He who leads the upright along an evil path
       will fall into his own trap,
       but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

 ¹¹ A rich man may be wise in his own eyes,
       but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.

 ¹² When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
       but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

 ¹³ He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
       but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

 ¹⁴ Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD,
       but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

 ¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
       is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.

 ¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,
       but he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

 ¹⁷ A man tormented by the guilt of murder
       will be a fugitive till death;
       let no one support him.

 ¹⁸ He whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
       but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

 ¹⁹ He who works his land will have abundant food,
       but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

 ²⁰ A faithful man will be richly blessed,
       but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

 ²¹ To show partiality is not good—
       yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

 ²² A stingy man is eager to get rich
       and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

 ²³ He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor
       than he who has a flattering tongue.

 ²⁴ He who robs his father or mother
       and says, "It's not wrong"—
       he is partner to him who destroys.

 ²⁵ A greedy man stirs up dissension,
       but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

 ²⁶ He who trusts in himself is a fool,
       but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

 ²⁷ He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
       but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

 ²⁸ When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
       but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Proverbs 29

 ¹ A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
       will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

 ² When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
       when the wicked rule, the people groan.

 ³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
       but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

 ⁴ By justice a king gives a country stability,
       but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

 ⁵ Whoever flatters his neighbor
       is spreading a net for his feet.

 ⁶ An evil man is snared by his own sin,
       but a righteous one can sing and be glad.

 ⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor,
       but the wicked have no such concern.

 ⁸ Mockers stir up a city,
       but wise men turn away anger.

 ⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a fool,
       the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

 ¹⁰ Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity
       and seek to kill the upright.

 ¹¹ A fool gives full vent to his anger,
       but a wise man keeps himself under control.

 ¹² If a ruler listens to lies,
       all his officials become wicked.

 ¹³ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
       The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.

 ¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with fairness,
       his throne will always be secure.

 ¹⁵ The rod of correction imparts wisdom,
       but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

 ¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
       but the righteous will see their downfall.

 ¹⁷ Discipline your son, and he will give you peace;
       he will bring delight to your soul.

 ¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
       but blessed is he who keeps the law.

 ¹⁹ A servant cannot be corrected by mere words;
       though he understands, he will not respond.

 ²⁰ Do you see a man who speaks in haste?
       There is more hope for a fool than for him.

 ²¹ If a man pampers his servant from youth,
       he will bring grief ^[c] in the end.

 ²² An angry man stirs up dissension,
       and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

 ²³ A man's pride brings him low,
       but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

 ²⁴ The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy;
       he is put under oath and dare not testify.

 ²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
       but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

 ²⁶ Many seek an audience with a ruler,
       but it is from the LORD that man gets justice.

 ²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest;
       the wicked detest the upright.

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2 Corinthians 10

Paul's Defense of His Ministry

 ⁷You are looking only on the surface of things.^[a] If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. ⁸For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. ⁹I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. ¹⁰For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." ¹¹Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

 ¹²We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ¹³We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. ¹⁴We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others.^[b] Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in another man's territory. ¹⁷But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."^{[c] 18}For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.