Proverbs 27-29
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
for you do not know what a day may bring.(A)
2 Let another praise you and not your own mouth,
a stranger and not your own lips.(B)
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.(C)
4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who is able to stand before jealousy?
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.(D)
6 Well meant are the wounds a friend inflicts,
but profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7 The sated appetite spurns honey,
but to a ravenous appetite even the bitter is sweet.(E)
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest
is one who strays from home.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad,
but the soul is torn by trouble.[a]
10 Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent;
do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is nearby
than kindred who are far away.(F)
11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
so that I may answer whoever reproaches me.(G)
12 The clever see danger and hide,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.(H)
13 Take the garment of one who has given surety for a stranger;
seize the pledge given as surety for foreigners.[b](I)
14 Whoever blesses a neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15 A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a contentious wife are alike;(J)
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp oil in the right hand.[c]
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one person sharpens the wits[d] of another.
18 Anyone who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and anyone who takes care of a master will be honored.(K)
19 Just as water reflects the face,
so one human heart reflects another.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and human eyes are never satisfied.(L)
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
so a person is tested[e] by being praised.(M)
22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
but the folly will not be driven out.(N)
23 Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
24 for riches do not last forever,
nor a crown for all generations.(O)
25 When the grass is gone, and new growth appears,
and the herbage of the mountains is gathered,(P)
26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field;
27 there will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and nourishment for your female servants.
28 The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.(Q)
2 When a land rebels
it has many rulers;
but with an intelligent[f] person, honesty endures.(R)
3 A poor person who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.(S)
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law struggle against them.(T)
5 The evil do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.(U)
6 Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than to be crooked in one’s ways even though rich.(V)
7 Those who keep the law are wise children,
but companions of gluttons shame their parents.(W)
8 One who augments wealth by exorbitant interest
gathers it for another who is kind to the poor.(X)
9 When one will not listen to the law,
even one’s prayers are an abomination.(Y)
10 Those who mislead the upright into evil ways
will fall into pits of their own making,
but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.(Z)
11 The rich is wise in self-esteem,
but an intelligent poor person sees through the pose.(AA)
12 When the righteous rejoice, there is great glory,
but when the wicked prevail, people go into hiding.(AB)
13 No one who conceals transgressions will prosper,
but one who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.(AC)
14 Happy is the one who is never without fear,
but one who is hard-hearted will fall into calamity.(AD)
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.(AE)
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but one who hates unjust gain will enjoy a long life.
17 If someone is burdened with the blood of another,
let that killer be a fugitive until death;
let no one offer assistance.(AF)
18 One who walks in integrity will be safe,
but whoever follows crooked ways will fall into the Pit.[g](AG)
19 Anyone who tills the land will have plenty of bread,
but one who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.(AH)
20 The faithful will abound with blessings,
but one who is in a hurry to be rich will not go unpunished.(AI)
21 To show partiality is not good,
yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong.
22 The miser is in a hurry to get rich
and does not know that loss is sure to come.
23 Whoever rebukes a person will afterward find more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.(AJ)
24 Anyone who robs father or mother
and says, “That is no crime,”
is partner to a thug.(AK)
25 The greedy person stirs up strife,
but whoever trusts in the Lord will be enriched.(AL)
26 Those who trust in their own wits are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom come through safely.
27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but one who turns a blind eye will get many a curse.(AM)
28 When the wicked prevail, people go into hiding,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.
29 One who is often reproved, yet remains stubborn,
will suddenly be broken beyond healing.(AN)
2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.(AO)
3 A child who loves wisdom makes a parent glad,
but a companion of prostitutes destroys wealth.(AP)
4 By justice a king gives stability to the land,
but one who makes heavy exactions ruins it.
5 Whoever flatters a neighbor
is spreading a net for the neighbor’s feet.
6 In the transgression of the evil there is a snare,
but the righteous sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous know the rights of the poor;
the wicked have no such understanding.(AQ)
8 Scoffers set a city aflame,
but the wise turn away wrath.(AR)
9 If the wise go to law with fools,
there is ranting and ridicule without relief.
10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
and they seek the life of the upright.(AS)
11 A fool gives full vent to anger,
but the wise quietly holds it back.(AT)
12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.(AU)
14 If a king judges the poor with equity,
his throne will be established forever.(AV)
15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a mother is disgraced by a neglected child.(AW)
16 When the wicked are in authority, transgression increases,
but the righteous will look upon their downfall.(AX)
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you rest;
they will give delight to your heart.(AY)
18 Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint,
but happy are those who keep the law.(AZ)
19 By mere words slaves are not disciplined,
for though they understand, they will not give heed.
20 Do you see someone who is hasty in speech?
There is more hope for a fool than for anyone like that.(BA)
21 A slave pampered from childhood
will come to a bad end.[h]
22 One given to anger stirs up strife,
and the hothead causes much transgression.(BB)
23 A person’s pride will bring humiliation,
but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.(BC)
24 To be a partner of a thief is to hate one’s own life;
one hears the victim’s curse but discloses nothing.[i](BD)
25 The fear of others[j] lays a snare,
but one who trusts in the Lord is secure.(BE)
26 Many seek the favor of a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.(BF)
27 The unjust are an abomination to the righteous,
but the upright are an abomination to the wicked.
Footnotes
- 27.9 Gk: Heb the sweetness of a friend is better than one’s own counsel
- 27.13 Vg and 20.16: Heb for a foreign woman
- 27.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 27.17 Heb face
- 27.21 Heb lacks is tested
- 28.2 Heb intelligent knowledgeable
- 28.18 Syr: Heb fall all at once
- 29.21 Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 29.24 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 29.25 Or human fear
2 Corinthians 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Paul Defends His Ministry
10 I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you but bold toward you when I am away!(A)— 2 I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.[a](B) 3 Indeed, we live as humans[b] but do not wage war according to human standards,[c] 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human,[d] but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments(C) 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.(D) 6 We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.(E)
7 Look[e] at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we.(F) 8 Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.(G) 9 I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For someone says,[f] “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.”(H) 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent we will also do when present.
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.(I) 13 We, however, will not boast beyond limits but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. 14 For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news[g] of Christ.(J) 15 We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labors of others, but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may proclaim the good news[h] in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s field. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”(K) 18 For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved but those whom the Lord commends.(L)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.