Proverbs 27:11-30:33

English Standard Version

^23 (P)Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and ^(Q)give attention to your herds,
²⁴ for ^(R)riches do not last forever;
    and does a crown endure to all generations?
^25 (S)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
    and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
^26 (T)the lambs will provide your clothing,
    and the goats the price of a field.
^27 (U)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
    for the food of your household
    and maintenance for your girls.
28 ^(V)The wicked flee when no one pursues,
    but ^(W)the righteous are bold as a lion.
² When a land transgresses, ^(X)it has many rulers,
    but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
    its stability will long continue.
^3 (Y)A poor man who oppresses the poor
    is a beating rain that leaves no food.
⁴ Those who forsake the law ^(Z)praise the wicked,
    but those who keep the law ^(AA)strive against them.
⁵ Evil men ^(AB)do not understand justice,
    but those who seek the Lord ^(AC)understand it completely.
^6 (AD)Better is a poor man who ^(AE)walks in his integrity
    than a rich man who is ^(AF)crooked in his ways.
⁷ The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
    but ^(AG)a companion of gluttons shames his father.
⁸ Whoever multiplies his wealth ^(AH)by interest and profit^{[d]
    (AI)}gathers it for him who is ^(AJ)generous to the poor.
⁹ If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
    even his ^(AK)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰ Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
    ^(AL)will fall into his own pit,
    but the blameless ^(AM)will have a goodly inheritance.
¹¹ A rich man is wise in his ^(AN)own eyes,
    but a poor man who has understanding ^(AO)will find him out.
¹² When ^(AP)the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
    but when ^(AQ)the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
¹³ Whoever ^(AR)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
    but he who ^(AS)confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
¹⁴ Blessed is the one who ^(AT)fears the Lord^[e] always,
    but whoever ^(AU)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
¹⁵ Like ^(AV)a roaring lion or ^(AW)a charging bear
    is ^(AX)a wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶ A ruler who ^(AY)lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
    but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷ If one is burdened with ^(AZ)the blood of another,
    he will be a fugitive until death;^[f]
    let no one help him.
^18 (BA)Whoever ^(BB)walks in integrity will be delivered,
    but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
^19 (BC)Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
    but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
²⁰ A faithful man will abound with blessings,
    but whoever hastens to be rich ^(BD)will not go unpunished.
²¹ To show ^(BE)partiality is not good,
    but for ^(BF)a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
²² A ^(BG)stingy man^{[g] (BH)}hastens after wealth
    and does not know that ^(BI)poverty will come upon him.
²³ Whoever ^(BJ)rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
    than ^(BK)he who flatters with his tongue.
²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother
    and says, “That is no transgression,”
    is ^(BL)a companion to a man who destroys.
²⁵ A greedy man ^(BM)stirs up strife,
    but the one who trusts in the Lord will ^(BN)be enriched.
²⁶ Whoever ^(BO)trusts in his own mind is a fool,
    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
²⁷ Whoever ^(BP)gives to the poor will not want,
    but he who ^(BQ)hides his eyes will get many a curse.
²⁸ When ^(BR)the wicked rise, ^(BS)people hide themselves,
    but when they perish, the righteous increase.
29 ^(BT)He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
    will suddenly be ^(BU)broken ^(BV)beyond healing.
² When ^(BW)the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
    but when ^(BX)the wicked rule, the people groan.
³ He who ^(BY)loves wisdom makes his father glad,
    but ^(BZ)a companion of prostitutes ^(CA)squanders his wealth.
⁴ By justice a king ^(CB)builds up the land,
    but he who exacts gifts^[h] tears it down.
^5 (CC)A man who flatters his neighbor
    spreads ^(CD)a net for his feet.
⁶ An evil man is ^(CE)ensnared in his transgression,
    but a righteous man ^(CF)sings and rejoices.
⁷ A righteous man ^(CG)knows the rights of the poor;
    a wicked man does not ^(CH)understand such knowledge.
^8 (CI)Scoffers set a city aflame,
    but the wise turn away wrath.
⁹ If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
    the fool only rages and laughs, and there is ^(CJ)no quiet.
¹⁰ Bloodthirsty men ^(CK)hate one who is blameless
    and seek the life of the upright.^[i]
11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
    but a wise man quietly holds it back.
¹² If a ruler listens to falsehood,
    all his officials will be wicked.
¹³ The poor man and the oppressor ^(CL)meet together;
    the Lord ^(CM)gives light to the eyes of both.
¹⁴ If a king ^(CN)faithfully judges the poor,
    his throne will ^(CO)be established forever.
^15 (CP)The rod and reproof give wisdom,
    but a child left to himself ^(CQ)brings shame to his mother.
¹⁶ When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
    but ^(CR)the righteous will look upon their downfall.
^17 (CS)Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
    he will give delight to your heart.
¹⁸ Where ^(CT)there is no prophetic vision the people ^(CU)cast off restraint,^[j]
    but blessed is he who ^(CV)keeps the law.
¹⁹ By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
    for though he understands, he will not respond.
²⁰ Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
    ^(CW)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
²¹ Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
    will in the end find him his heir.^[k]
22 (CX)A man of wrath stirs up strife,
    and one given to anger causes much transgression.
^23 (CY)One's pride will bring him low,
    ^(CZ)but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
²⁴ The partner of a thief ^(DA)hates his own life;
    ^(DB)he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
^25 (DC)The fear of man lays a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
²⁶ Many ^(DD)seek the face of a ruler,
    but it is from the Lord that a man ^(DE)gets justice.
^27 (DF)An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
    but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.^[m]
2 Surely I am too ^(DG)stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of ^(DH)the Holy One.
⁴ Who has ^(DI)ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has ^(DJ)gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has ^(DK)wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all ^(DL)the ends of the earth?
^(DM)What is his name, and what is his son's name?
    Surely you know!

^5 (DN)Every word of God proves true;
    he is ^(DO)a shield to those who take refuge in him.
^6 (DP)Do not add to his words,
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
    deny them not to me ^(DQ)before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is ^(DR)needful for me,
⁹ lest I be ^(DS)full and ^(DT)deny you
    and say, ^(DU)“Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
    ^(DV)and profane the name of my God.

^10 (DW)Do not slander a servant to his master,
    ^(DX)lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

¹¹ There are those^[n] who ^(DY)curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.
¹² There are those who are ^(DZ)clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.
¹³ There are those—how ^(EA)lofty are their eyes,
    how high their eyelids lift!
¹⁴ There are those whose teeth are ^(EB)swords,
    whose ^(EC)fangs are knives,
to ^(ED)devour the poor from off the earth,
    the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵ The leech has two daughters:
    Give and Give.^[o]
(EE)Three things are never satisfied;
    ^(EF)four never say, “Enough”:
^16 (EG)Sheol, ^(EH)the barren womb,
    the land never satisfied with water,
    and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

¹⁷ The eye that ^(EI)mocks a father
    and ^(EJ)scorns to obey a mother
will ^(EK)be picked out by ^(EL)the ravens of the valley
    and eaten by the vultures.

^18 (EM)Three things are ^(EN)too wonderful for me;
    ^(EO)four I do not understand:
¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a virgin.

²⁰ This is the way of an adulteress:
    she eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, “I have done no wrong.”

²¹ Under ^(EP)three things ^(EQ)the earth trembles;
    under ^(ER)four it cannot bear up:
^22 (ES)a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is ^(ET)filled with food;
^23 (EU)an unloved woman when she ^(EV)gets a husband,
    and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

^24 (EW)Four things on earth are small,
    but they are exceedingly wise:
^25 (EX)the ants are a people not strong,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
^26 (EY)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
    yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
²⁷ the locusts have no ^(EZ)king,
    yet all of them march in ^(FA)rank;
²⁸ the lizard you can take in your hands,
    yet it is in kings' palaces.

^29 (FB)Three things are stately in their tread;
    ^(FC)four are stately in their stride:
³⁰ the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
    and ^(FD)does not turn back before any;
³¹ the ^(FE)strutting rooster,^[p] the he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.^[q]

³² If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
    or if you have been devising evil,
    ^(FF)put your hand on your mouth.
³³ For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.