Proverbs 29

¹One who becomes stiff-necked,

after many reprimands

will be shattered instantly —

beyond recovery.

²When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, people groan.

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,[#Pr 10:1; 15:20; 23:24-25; 27:11; 28:7]

but one who consorts with prostitutes destroys his wealth.

⁴By justice a king brings stability to a land,[#2Ch 9:8; Pr 29:14]

but a man who demands “contributions”

demolishes it.

⁵A man who flatters his neighbor[#Lit is smooth on]

spreads a net for his feet.

⁶An evil man is caught by sin,[#Pr 12:13; 18:7; Ec 9:12]

but the righteous one sings and rejoices.

⁷The righteous person knows the rights of the poor,[#Lit justice; #Jb 29:16; Ps 41:1]

but the wicked one does not understand these concerns.

⁸Mockers inflame a city,[#Pr 11:11; 26:21; 29:22]

but the wise turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man goes to court with a fool,

there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.

¹⁰Bloodthirsty men hate an honest person,[#Gn 4:5-8; 1Jn 3:12]

but the upright care about him.

¹¹A fool gives full vent to his anger,[#Lit spirit; #Pr 12:16]

but a wise man holds it in check.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies,[#1Kg 22:8,21-23]

all his officials will be wicked.

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common:[#Lit oppressor meet]

the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

¹⁴A king who judges the poor with fairness —

his throne will be established forever.

¹⁵A rod of correction imparts wisdom,[#Pr 13:24; 22:15]

but a youth left to himself

is a disgrace to his mother.

¹⁶When the wicked increase, rebellion increases,

but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Discipline your son, and it will bring you peace of mind[#Pr 13:24]

and give you delight.

¹⁸Without revelation people run wild,[#Lit vision; #1Sm 3:1; Ps 74:9; Am 8:11-12; #Ex 32:25]

but one who listens to instruction will be happy.

¹⁹A slave cannot be disciplined by words;

though he understands, he doesn’t respond.

²⁰Do you see a man who speaks too soon?[#Lv 5:4; Jdg 11:30-31,34; Pr 10:19; 17:27; 19:2; 20:25]

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹A slave pampered from his youth

will become arrogant later on.

²²An angry man stirs up conflict,

and a hot-tempered man increases rebellion.

²³A person’s pride will humble him,[#2Sm 22:28; Mt 23:12; Jms 4:6]

but a humble spirit will gain honor.

²⁴To be a thief’s partner is to hate oneself;

he hears the curse but will not testify.

²⁵The fear of man is a snare,[#Gn 12:12; 20:2; 1Sm 13:11; Lk 12:4; Jn 12:42-43]

but the one who trusts in the Lord is protected.

²⁶Many seek a ruler’s favor,[#Pr 16:15; 19:6]

but a man receives justice from the Lord .

²⁷An unjust man is detestable to the righteous,

and one whose way is upright

is detestable to the wicked.