Proverbs 29

¹ A reprover is better than a stiff-necked man:

for when the latter is suddenly set on fire, there shall be no remedy.

² When the righteous are praised, the people will rejoice:

but when the ungodly rule, men mourn.

³ When a man loveth wisdom, his father rejoiceth:

but he that keepeth harlots will waste wealth.

⁴ A righteous king establisheth a country:

but a transgressor destroyeth it.

⁵ He that prepareth a net in the way of his own friend,

entangleth his own feet in it.

⁶ A great snare is spread for a sinner:

but the righteous shall be in joy and gladness.

⁷ A righteous man knoweth how to judge for the poor:

but the ungodly understandeth not knowledge;

and the poor man hath not an understanding mind.

⁸ Lawless men burn down a city:

but wise men turn away wrath.

⁹ A wise man shall judge nations:

but a worthless man being angry laugheth and feareth not.

¹⁰ Bloody men hate a holy person,

but the upright will seek his soul.

¹¹ A fool uttereth all his mind:

but the wise reserveth his in part.

¹² When a king hearkeneth to unjust language,

all his subjects are transgressors.

¹³ When the creditor and debtor meet together,

the Lord overseeth them both.

¹⁴ When a king judgeth the poor in truth,

his throne shall be established ^[1]for a testimony.

¹⁵ Stripes and reproofs give wisdom:

but an erring child disgraceth his parents.

¹⁶ When the ungodly abound, sins abound:

but when they fall, the righteous are warned.

¹⁷ Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest;

and he shall give honour to thy soul.

¹⁸ There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation:

but he that observeth the law is ^[2]blessed.

¹⁹ A stubborn servant will not be reproved by words:

for even if he understand, still he will not obey.

²⁰ If thou see a man hasty in his words,

know that the fool hath hope rather than he.

²¹ He that liveth wantonly from a child, shall be a servant,

and in the end shall grieve over himself.

²² A furious man stirreth up strife,

and a passionate man diggeth up sin.

²³ Pride bringeth a man low,

but the Lord upholdeth the humble-minded with honour.

²⁴ He that shareth with a thief, hateth his own soul:

and if any having heard an oath uttered tell not of it,

²⁵ they fearing and reverencing men unreasonably have been overthrown,

but he that trusteth in the Lord shall rejoice.

Ungodliness causeth a man to stumble:

but he that trusteth ^[3]in his master shall be safe.

²⁶ Many wait on the favour of rulers;

but justice cometh to a man from the Lord.

²⁷ A righteous man is an abomination to an unrighteous man,

and the direct way is an abomination to the sinner.^[4]

Notes

1. 29:14 for a testimony: Heb. for ever. See Amos 1:11; Mich. 7:18; in the Greek ↩
2. 29:18 blessed: or, most blessed ↩
3. 29:25 in his master: possibly, in the Lord. See 2 Pet. 2:1 ↩
4. 29:27 Heb. has here 30:1–14, 30:15–33, and 31:1–9, printed in chapter 24 ↩