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Proverbs 27-29
Complete Jewish Bible
Proverbs 27-29
Complete Jewish Bible
27 Don’t boast about tomorrow,
for you don’t know what the day may bring.
2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth,
a stranger and not your own lips.
3 Stone is heavy and sand a dead weight,
but a fool’s provocation outweighs them both.
4 Fury is cruel and anger overwhelming,
but who can stand up to jealousy?
5 Better open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend are received as well-meant,
but an enemy’s kisses are insincere.
7 A person who is full loathes a honeycomb;
but to the hungry, any bitter thing is sweet.
8 Like a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.
9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad,
[also] friendship sweet with advice from the heart.
10 Don’t abandon a friend
who is also a friend of your father.
Don’t enter your brother’s house on the day of your calamity —
better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
11 My son, become wise, and gladden my heart,
so that I can answer my critics.
12 The clever see trouble coming and hide;
the thoughtless go on and pay the penalty.
13 Seize his clothes because he guaranteed a stranger’s loan;
take them as security for that unknown woman.
14 Whoever greets his neighbor in a loud voice at dawn
might just as well have cursed him.
15 A leak that keeps dripping on a rainy day
and the nagging of a wife are the same —
16 whoever can restrain her can restrain the wind
or keep perfume on his hand from making itself known.
17 Just as iron sharpens iron,
a person sharpens the character of his friend.
18 Whoever tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who is attentive to his master will be honored.
19 Just as water reflects the face,
so one human heart reflects another.
20 Sh’ol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
and human eyes are never satisfied.
21 The crucible [tests] silver, and the furnace [tests] gold,
but a person [is tested] by [his reaction to] praise.
22 You can crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle,
along with the grain being crushed;
yet his foolishness will not leave him.
23 Take care to know the condition of your flocks,
and pay attention to your herds.
24 For wealth doesn’t last forever,
neither does a crown through all generations.
25 When the hay has been mown, and the new grass appears,
and the mountain greens have been gathered;
26 the lambs will provide your clothing,
the goats will sell for enough to buy a field,
27 and there will be enough goat’s milk
to [buy] food for you and your household
and maintenance for your servant-girls.
28 The wicked flee when no one pursues them;
but the righteous, like lions, feel sure of themselves.
2 A land which transgresses [is punished by] having many rulers;
but with a man of understanding and knowledge, stability is prolonged.
3 A poor man who oppresses the weak
is like a downpour that sweeps away all the food.
4 Those who abandon Torah praise the wicked,
but those who keep Torah fight them.
5 Evil people don’t understand justice,
but those who seek Adonai understand everything.
6 Better to be poor and live an honest life
than be crooked in one’s ways, though rich.
7 A wise son observes Torah,
but a friend of those lacking restraint shames his father.
8 He who increases his wealth by charging exorbitant interest
amasses it for someone who will bestow it on the poor.
9 If a person will not listen to Torah,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever causes the honest to pursue evil ways
will himself fall into his own pit,
but the pure-hearted will inherit good.
11 The rich man is wise in his own view,
but the poor who has discernment sees through him.
12 When the just are triumphant, there is great rejoicing,
but when the wicked rise up, people hide.
13 He who conceals his sins will not succeed;
he who confesses and abandons them will gain mercy.
14 Happy the person who is never without fear,
but he who hardens his heart will fall into misfortune.
15 Like a roaring lion or a bear prowling for food
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A prince without discernment is a cruel oppressor,
but one who hates greed will prolong his life.
17 Let a man weighed down with anyone’s blood
flee to a pit; give him no support.
18 Whoever lives blamelessly will be saved,
but he whose ways are crooked will fall in one [of those ways].
19 He who farms his land will have plenty of food,
but he who follows futilities will have plenty of poverty.
20 A trustworthy person will receive many blessings,
but one rushing to get rich will not go unpunished.
21 To show partiality is not good,
though a person may do wrong for a crust of bread.
22 He who is greedy rushes after riches,
not knowing that want will overtake him.
23 He who rebukes another person
in the end gets more thanks than the flatterer.
24 Whoever robs mother or father and says, “That’s not a crime!”
is comrade to the destroyer.
25 A grasping disposition stirs up strife,
but he who trusts in Adonai will prosper.
26 He who trusts in himself is a fool,
but he who lives by wisdom will escape.
27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who hides his eyes will get curses in plenty.
28 When the wicked rise up, people hide;
but when they perish, the righteous flourish.
29 He who remains stiffnecked after much rebuke
will be suddenly and incurably broken.
2 When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice;
but when the wicked are in power, the people groan.
3 Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but a patron of prostitutes wastes his wealth.
4 A king gives stability to a country by justice,
but one who overtaxes it brings it to ruin.
5 A person who flatters his neighbor
spreads a net for his own steps.
6 In an evil person’s crime is a trap,
but the righteous sing and rejoice.
7 The righteous understands the cause of the poor,
but the wicked is unconcerned.
8 Scoffers can inflame a city,
but the wise can calm the fury.
9 When a wise man argues with a foolish one,
he meets anger and ridicule without relief.
10 Men of blood hate those who are pure
and seek the life of the upright.
11 A fool gives vent to all his feelings,
but the wise, thinking of afterwards, stills them.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials will be wicked.
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
Adonai gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king steadfastly gives justice to the poor,
his throne will be secure forever.
15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame on his mother.
16 When the wicked flourish, wrongdoing flourishes;
but the righteous will witness their downfall.
17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
yes, he will be your delight.
18 Without a prophetic vision, the people throw off all restraint;
but he who keeps Torah is happy.
19 A slave can’t be disciplined with words;
he may understand, but he won’t respond.
20 Do you see someone too anxious to speak?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 A slave who is pampered from youth
will in the end be ungrateful.
22 Angry people stir up strife;
hot-tempered people commit many crimes.
23 The proud will be humbled,
but the humble will be honored.
24 The accomplice of a thief hates himself;
he hears himself put under oath but discloses nothing.
25 Fearing human beings is a snare;
but he who trusts in Adonai will be raised high [above danger].
26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,
but it is from Adonai that each gets justice.
27 An unjust person is an abomination to the righteous,
but he who lives uprightly is an abomination to the wicked.
Proverbs 27-29
New International Version
Proverbs 27-29
New International Version
2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
an outsider, and not your own lips.(C)
3 Stone is heavy and sand(D) a burden,
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?(E)
5 Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.(F)
7 One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Like a bird that flees its nest(G)
is anyone who flees from home.
9 Perfume(H) and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster(I) strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;(J)
then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.(K)
12 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.(L)
13 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.(M)
14 If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(N)
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
or grasping oil with the hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18 The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,(O)
and whoever protects their master will be honored.(P)
19 As water reflects the face,
so one’s life reflects the heart.[a]
21 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(S)
but people are tested by their praise.
22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding them like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove their folly from them.
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,(T)
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,(U)
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
and to nourish your female servants.
2 When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3 A ruler[c] who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
but those who heed it resist them.
5 Evildoers do not understand what is right,
but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.
6 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than the rich whose ways are perverse.(Y)
7 A discerning son heeds instruction,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.(Z)
8 Whoever increases wealth by taking interest(AA) or profit from the poor
amasses it for another,(AB) who will be kind to the poor.(AC)
9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable.(AD)
10 Whoever leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into their own trap,(AE)
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
11 The rich are wise in their own eyes;
one who is poor and discerning sees how deluded they are.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;(AF)
but when the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding.(AG)
13 Whoever conceals their sins(AH) does not prosper,
but the one who confesses(AI) and renounces them finds mercy.(AJ)
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
16 A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.
17 Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
will seek refuge(AK) in the grave;
let no one hold them back.
18 The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,(AL)
but the one whose ways are perverse will fall(AM) into the pit.[d]
19 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.(AN)
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.(AO)
22 The stingy are eager to get rich
and are unaware that poverty awaits them.(AS)
23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
rather than one who has a flattering tongue.(AT)
24 Whoever robs their father or mother(AU)
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is partner to one who destroys.(AV)
27 Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,(BA)
but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.(BB)
28 When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;(BC)
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
29 Whoever remains stiff-necked(BD) after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed(BE)—without remedy.(BF)
2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;(BG)
when the wicked rule,(BH) the people groan.(BI)
3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,(BJ)
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.(BK)
4 By justice a king gives a country stability,(BL)
but those who are greedy for[e] bribes tear it down.
5 Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.(BM)
6 Evildoers are snared by their own sin,(BN)
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.
7 The righteous care about justice for the poor,(BO)
but the wicked have no such concern.
8 Mockers stir up a city,
but the wise turn away anger.(BP)
9 If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.(BQ)
13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.(BV)
14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
his throne will be established forever.(BW)
15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.(BX)
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.(BY)
17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
they will bring you the delights you desire.(BZ)
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.(CA)
19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
though they understand, they will not respond.
20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
There is more hope for a fool than for them.(CB)
21 A servant pampered from youth
will turn out to be insolent.
22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.(CC)
24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
they are put under oath and dare not testify.(CF)
27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.(CL)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:19 Or so others reflect your heart back to you
- Proverbs 27:20 Hebrew Abaddon
- Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person
- Proverbs 28:18 Syriac (see Septuagint); Hebrew into one
- Proverbs 29:4 Or who give
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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