Proverbs 29
Common English Bible
29 One who stays stubborn after many corrections
will be suddenly broken, beyond healing.
2 When the righteous become numerous, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked dominate, the people moan.
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
but one who spends time with prostitutes destroys riches.
4 A king gives stability to the land by justice,
but one who imposes heavy taxes tears it down.
5 People who flatter their friends
spread out a net for their feet.
6 The wicked are snared by their own sin;[a]
the righteous sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous know the rights of the poor,
but the wicked don’t understand.
8 Mockers set a city on fire,
but the wise turn back anger.
9 When the wise make a legal charge against the foolish,
the fools shout, they laugh—there is no calm.
10 Murderous people hate the innocent,
and they seek the lives of the virtuous.
11 Fools show all their anger,
but the wise hold it back.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
those who serve him will be wicked.
13 The poor and their oppressors have a common bond—
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor honestly,
his throne will be established forever.
15 The rod and correction lead to wisdom,
but children out of control shame their mothers.
16 When the wicked become numerous, so do crimes;
the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Instruct your children; they will give you peace of mind
and bring delight into your life.
18 When there’s no vision, the people get out of control,
but whoever obeys instruction is happy.
19 Servants aren’t disciplined by words;
they might understand, but they don’t respond.
20 Do you see people who are quick to speak?
There is more hope for fools than for them.
21 Pamper servants from a young age,
and later on there will be trouble.
22 Angry people stir up conflict;
hotheads cause much offense.
23 Pride lays people low,
but those of humble spirit gain honor.
24 Those who share plunder with thieves hate themselves;
even under oath, they don’t testify.
25 People are trapped by their fear of others;
those who trust the Lord are secure.
26 Many seek access to the ruler,
but justice comes from the Lord.
27 The unjust person is disgusting to the righteous;
the straight path is disgusting to the wicked.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 29:6 Tg, Syr; MT In the sin of an evil man is a snare
Proverbs 29
EasyEnglish Bible
29 You may warn a proud person many times, but he will not listen to you.
Trouble will suddenly happen to him and he will not escape.
2 When righteous people are doing well, everyone is happy.
But when wicked people rule, everyone is sad.
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father happy.
But anyone who is a friend of prostitutes is wasting his father's money.
4 A king who rules with justice makes his country strong.
But a king who takes lots of taxes destroys his country.
5 If you always praise your friends with sweet words,
that will be a trap that you walk into yourself.
6 The sin of an evil person becomes a trap that catches him.
But a righteous person sings with joy.
7 Righteous people want poor people to receive justice.
But wicked people do not understand things like that.
8 People who insult their friends bring trouble to a city.
But wise people stop arguments.
9 If a wise person accuses a foolish person in court,
there will be no agreement.
The fool will only laugh or he will become angry.
10 Murderers hate honest people.
They try to kill any good person.
11 Foolish people cannot control their anger.
But wise people are patient.
12 When a ruler listens to lies,
all his officers will be wicked.
13 The Lord gives light to all people so that they can see.
He does that for poor people and also those who are cruel to them.
14 If a king judges poor people in a true way,
he will always have the power to rule.
15 If you want your children to be wise,
warn them and punish them when they do wrong things.
If you let them do anything that they want to do,
they will make their mother ashamed.
16 When wicked people receive more power, there is also more sin.
But those wicked people will fall while righteous people watch.
17 Warn your children when they do wrong things,
so that you have peace in your mind.
They will make you very happy.
18 If people do not hear God's message,
there is no law to control them.
But if someone obeys God's law,
he is in a happy place.
19 You must use more than words to show a servant what is right.
Even if he understands what you say, he will not obey you.
20 Do you know anyone who speaks before he thinks?
A foolish person is more likely to become wise than that person.
21 You may give a servant everything that he wants from his birth.
But if you do that, he will be useless in the end.
22 An angry person causes arguments.
When he is angry, he causes many sins to happen.
23 A person's pride will bring shame to him.
But a humble person will receive honour.
24 If you help a robber, you are bringing punishment on yourself.
If you tell the truth in court, or if you keep quiet,
you will receive your punishment.[a]
25 If you are afraid of what people think about you,
you will never feel safe.
But if you trust in the Lord,
he will keep you safe.
26 Many people want the king to be their friend.
But only the Lord can give you true justice.
27 Righteous people hate wicked people.
Wicked people also hate people who live in a good way.
Footnotes
- 29:24 In court, people had to ask God to curse them if they did not tell the truth. So the judge will punish you if you say that you helped a robber. God will punish you if you do not say anything.
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