Proverbs 29-31

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.

⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind by the handful?
    Who has bound up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
    What is this person’s name and the name of this person’s child—
            if you know it?

⁵ All God’s words are tried and true;
    a shield for those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Don’t add to his words,
    or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
    don’t keep them from me before I die:
⁸ Fraud and lies—
    keep far from me!
Don’t give me either poverty or wealth;
    give me just the food I need.
⁹     Or I’ll be full and deny you,
    and say, “Who is the Lord?”
    Or I’ll be poor and steal,
    and dishonor my God’s name.

¹¹ There are those who curse their father
    and don’t bless their mother.
¹² There are those who think they are clean,
    but haven’t washed off their own excrement.
¹³ There are those—
    how arrogant are their eyes;
    how their eyebrows are raised!
¹⁴ There are those whose teeth are swords;
    their jaw is a butcher’s knife,
    ready to devour the needy from the earth,
    and the poor from humanity.

¹⁵ The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!”
    There are three things that are never satisfied,
    four that never say, “Enough!”:
¹⁶         the grave^[b] and a barren womb,
        a land never filled with water,
        and fire that doesn’t say, “Enough!”

¹⁷ An eye that mocks a father
    and rejects obedience to a mother,
    may the ravens of the river valley peck it out,
    and the eagle’s young eat it.
¹⁸ Three things are too wonderful for me,
    four that I can’t figure out:
¹⁹         the way of an eagle in the sky,
        the way of a snake on the rock,
        the way of a ship out on the open sea,
        and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰ This is the way of an adulterous woman:
    she eats and wipes her mouth,
    and she says, “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

²¹ At three things the earth trembles,
    at four it can’t bear up:
²²         at a servant when he becomes king
        and fools when they are full of food;
²³         at a detested woman when she gets married
        and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.

²⁴ Four things are among the smallest on earth,
    but they are extremely wise:
²⁵     Ants as creatures aren’t strong,
            but they store away their food in the summer.
²⁶     Badgers as creatures aren’t powerful,
            but they make their homes in the rocks.
²⁷     Locusts don’t have a king,
            but they march together in ranks.
²⁸     You can catch lizards in your hand,
            but they are in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ There are three things that are excellent in their stride,
    four that are excellent as they walk:
³⁰     a lion, a warrior among beasts,
            which doesn’t back down at anything;
³¹     the strut of a rooster or a male goat;
    and a king with his army.

³² If you’ve been foolish and arrogant,
    if you’ve been scheming,
    put your hand to your mouth,
³³         because churning milk makes curds,
        squeezing the nose brings blood,
        and stirring up anger produces strife.