Proverbs 27–29

27Do not boast^z about tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day may bring.^a

²Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;

an outsider, and not your own lips.^b

³Stone is heavy and sand^c a burden,

but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

⁴Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,

but who can stand before jealousy?^d

⁵Better is open rebuke

than hidden love.

⁶Wounds from a friend can be trusted,

but an enemy multiplies kisses.^e

⁷One who is full loathes honey from the comb,

but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸Like a bird that flees its nest^f

is anyone who flees from home.

⁹Perfume^g and incense bring joy to the heart,

and the pleasantness of a friend

springs from their heartfelt advice.

¹⁰Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,

and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster^h strikes you—

better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

¹¹Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;ⁱ

then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.^j

¹²The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.^k

¹³Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.^l

¹⁴If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,

it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping^m

of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;

¹⁶restraining her is like restraining the wind

or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷As iron sharpens iron,

so one person sharpens another.

¹⁸The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,ⁿ

and whoever protects their master will be honored.^o

¹⁹As water reflects the face,

so one’s life reflects the heart.^a

²⁰Death and Destruction^b are never satisfied,^p

and neither are human eyes.^q

²¹The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,^r

but people are tested by their praise.

²²Though you grind a fool in a mortar,

grinding them like grain with a pestle,

you will not remove their folly from them.

²³Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,^s

give careful attention to your herds;

²⁴for riches do not endure forever,^t

and a crown is not secure for all generations.

²⁵When the hay is removed and new growth appears

and the grass from the hills is gathered in,

²⁶the lambs will provide you with clothing,

and the goats with the price of a field.

²⁷You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family

and to nourish your female servants.

28The wicked flee^u though no one pursues,^v

but the righteous are as bold as a lion.^w

²When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,

but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

³A ruler^a who oppresses the poor

is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,

but those who heed it resist them.

⁵Evildoers do not understand what is right,

but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better the poor whose walk is blameless

than the rich whose ways are perverse.^x

⁷A discerning son heeds instruction,

but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.^y

⁸Whoever increases wealth by taking interest^z or profit from the poor

amasses it for another,^a who will be kind to the poor.^b

⁹If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,

even their prayers are detestable.^c

¹⁰Whoever leads the upright along an evil path

will fall into their own trap,^d

but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

¹¹The rich are wise in their own eyes;

one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;^e

but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.^f

¹³Whoever conceals their sins^g does not prosper,

but the one who confesses^h and renounces them finds mercy.ⁱ

¹⁴Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,

but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵Like a roaring lion or a charging bear

is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,

but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

¹⁷Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder

will seek refuge^j in the grave;

let no one hold them back.

¹⁸The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,^k

but the one whose ways are perverse will fall^l into the pit.^b

¹⁹Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.^m

²⁰A faithful person will be richly blessed,

but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.ⁿ

²¹To show partiality^o is not good^p—

yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.^q

²²The stingy are eager to get rich

and are unaware that poverty awaits them.^r

²³Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor

rather than one who has a flattering tongue.^s

²⁴Whoever robs their father or mother^t

and says, “It’s not wrong,”

is partner to one who destroys.^u

²⁵The greedy stir up conflict,^v

but those who trust in the Lord^w will prosper.

²⁶Those who trust in themselves are fools,^x

but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.^y

²⁷Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,^z

but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.^a

²⁸When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;^b

but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

29Whoever remains stiff-necked^c after many rebukes

will suddenly be destroyed^d—without remedy.^e

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;^f

when the wicked rule,^g the people groan.^h

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,ⁱ

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.^j

⁴By justice a king gives a country stability,^k

but those who are greedy for^a bribes tear it down.

⁵Those who flatter their neighbors

are spreading nets for their feet.^l

⁶Evildoers are snared by their own sin,^m

but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor,ⁿ

but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸Mockers stir up a city,

but the wise turn away anger.^o

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

the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity

and seek to kill the upright.^p

¹¹Fools give full vent to their rage,^q

but the wise bring calm in the end.^r

¹²If a ruler^s listens to lies,

all his officials become wicked.^t

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common:

The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.^u

¹⁴If a king judges the poor with fairness,

his throne will be established forever.^v

¹⁵A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,

but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.^w

¹⁶When the wicked thrive, so does sin,

but the righteous will see their downfall.^x

¹⁷Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;

they will bring you the delights you desire.^y

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;

but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.^z

¹⁹Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;

though they understand, they will not respond.

²⁰Do you see someone who speaks in haste?

There is more hope for a fool than for them.^a

²¹A servant pampered from youth

will turn out to be insolent.

²²An angry person stirs up conflict,

and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.^b

²³Pride brings a person low,^c

but the lowly in spirit gain honor.^d

²⁴The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;

they are put under oath and dare not testify.^e

²⁵Fear^f of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord^g is kept safe.^h

²⁶Many seek an audience with a ruler,ⁱ

but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.^j

²⁷The righteous detest the dishonest;

the wicked detest the upright.^k