Proverbs 29

New King James Version

Happy Is He Who Keeps the Law

29 He^(A) who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck,
Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

²When the righteous ^[a]are in authority, the ^(B)people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, ^(C)the people groan.

³Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.

⁴The king establishes the land by justice,
But he who receives bribes overthrows it.

⁵A man who ^(D)flatters his neighbor
Spreads a net for his feet.

⁶By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

⁷The righteous ^(E)considers the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

⁸Scoffers ^(F)set a city aflame,
But wise men turn away wrath.

⁹If a wise man contends with a foolish man,
^(G)Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

¹⁰^(H)The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
But the upright seek his ^[b]well-being.

¹¹A fool vents all his ^(I)feelings,^[c]
But a wise man holds them back.

¹²If a ruler pays attention to lies,
All his servants become wicked.

¹³The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
^(J)The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

¹⁴The king who judges the ^(K)poor with truth,
His throne will be established forever.

¹⁵The rod and rebuke give ^(L)wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases;
But the righteous will see their ^(M)fall.

¹⁷Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

¹⁸^(N)Where there is no ^[d]revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But ^(O)happy is he who keeps the law.

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

²⁰Do you see a man hasty in his words?
^(P)There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He who pampers his servant from childhood
Will have him as a son in the end.

²²^(Q)An angry man stirs up strife,
And a furious man abounds in transgression.

²³^(R)A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

²⁴Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
^(S)He ^[e]swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.

²⁵^(T)The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be ^[f]safe.

²⁶^(U)Many seek the ruler’s ^[g]favor,
But justice for man comes from the Lord.

²⁷An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

Footnotes

Proverbs 29:2 become great
Proverbs 29:10 Lit. soul or life
Proverbs 29:11 Lit. spirit
Proverbs 29:18 prophetic vision
Proverbs 29:24 Lit. hears the adjuration or oath
Proverbs 29:25 secure, lit. set on high
Proverbs 29:26 Lit. face

Ecclesiastes 5:1-12

New King James Version

Fear God, Keep Your Vows

5 Walk ^(A)prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather ^(B)than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

²Do not be ^(C)rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.
For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words ^(D)be few.
³For a dream comes through much activity,
And ^(E)a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

⁴^(F)When you make a vow to God, do not delay to ^(G)pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed—
⁵^(H)Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

⁶Do not let your ^(I)mouth cause your flesh to sin, ^(J)nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your ^[a]excuse and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But ^(K)fear God.

The Vanity of Gain and Honor

⁸If you ^(L)see the oppression of the poor, and the violent ^[b]perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for ^(M)high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

⁹Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

¹⁰He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.

¹¹When goods increase,
They increase who eat them;
So what profit have the owners
Except to see them with their eyes?

¹²The sleep of a laboring man is sweet,
Whether he eats little or much;
But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit. voice
Ecclesiastes 5:8 wresting

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

New King James Version

Excel in Giving

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: ²that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and ^(A)their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. ³For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, ⁴imploring us with much urgency ^[a]that we would receive the gift and ^(B)the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. ⁵And not only as we had hoped, but they first ^(C)gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the ^(D)will of God. ⁶So ^(E)we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. ⁷But as ^(F)you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see ^(G)that you abound in this grace also.

Christ Our Pattern

⁸^(H)I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(I)that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become ^(J)rich.

¹⁰And in this ^(K)I give advice: ^(L)It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and ^(M)were desiring to do a year ago; ¹¹but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. ¹²For ^(N)if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.

¹³For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; ¹⁴but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. ¹⁵As it is written, ^(O)“He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”