Proverbs 26:10-29:27
English Standard Version
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone
is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like (A)a dog that returns to his vomit
is (B)a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is (C)wise in his own eyes?
(D)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 (E)The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
There is a lion in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so does a sluggard on his bed.
15 (F)The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is (G)wiser in his own eyes
(H)than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws (I)firebrands, arrows, and death
19 is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
and where there is no (J)whisperer, (K)quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is (L)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 (M)The words of (N)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 (O)Like the (P)glaze[b] covering an earthen vessel
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
and harbors deceit in his heart;
25 (Q)when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
for there are (R)seven abominations in his heart;
26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 (S)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
(T)for you do not know what a day may bring.
2 Let (U)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
a stranger, and not your own lips.
3 A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
but (V)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
but who can stand before (W)jealousy?
5 (X)Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
6 Faithful are (Y)the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
7 One who is full loathes (Z)honey,
but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
8 Like (AA)a bird that strays from its nest
is a man who strays from his home.
9 (AB)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[c]
10 Do not forsake your friend and (AC)your father's friend,
and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
(AD)Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.
11 (AE)Be wise, (AF)my son, and (AG)make my heart glad,
that I may (AH)answer him who reproaches me.
12 (AI)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but (AJ)the simple go on and suffer for it.
13 (AK)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.[d]
14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
rising early in the morning,
will be counted as cursing.
15 (AL)A continual dripping on a rainy day
and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
or to grasp[e] oil in one's right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.[f]
18 (AM)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
and he who (AN)guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 (AO)Sheol and Abaddon are (AP)never satisfied,
and (AQ)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21 (AR)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and a man is tested by his praise.
22 (AS)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
along with crushed grain,
yet his folly will not depart from him.
23 (AT)Know well the condition of your flocks,
and (AU)give attention to your herds,
24 for (AV)riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
25 (AW)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
26 (AX)the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
27 (AY)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.
28 (AZ)The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but (BA)the righteous are bold as a lion.
2 When a land transgresses, (BB)it has many rulers,
but with a man of understanding and knowledge,
its stability will long continue.
3 (BC)A poor man who oppresses the poor
is a beating rain that leaves no food.
4 Those who forsake the law (BD)praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law (BE)strive against them.
5 Evil men (BF)do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord (BG)understand it completely.
6 (BH)Better is a poor man who (BI)walks in his integrity
than a rich man who is (BJ)crooked in his ways.
7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,
but (BK)a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8 Whoever multiplies his wealth (BL)by interest and profit[g]
(BM)gathers it for him who is (BN)generous to the poor.
9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his (BO)prayer is an abomination.
10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
(BP)will fall into his own pit,
but the blameless (BQ)will have a goodly inheritance.
11 A rich man is wise in his (BR)own eyes,
but a poor man who has understanding (BS)will find him out.
12 When (BT)the righteous triumph, there is great glory,
but when (BU)the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
13 Whoever (BV)conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who (BW)confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who (BX)fears the Lord[h] always,
but whoever (BY)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15 Like (BZ)a roaring lion or (CA)a charging bear
is (CB)a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who (CC)lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17 If one is burdened with (CD)the blood of another,
he will be a fugitive until death;[i]
let no one help him.
18 (CE)Whoever (CF)walks in integrity will be delivered,
but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.
19 (CG)Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,
but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich (CH)will not go unpunished.
21 To show (CI)partiality is not good,
but for (CJ)a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
22 A (CK)stingy man[j] (CL)hastens after wealth
and does not know that (CM)poverty will come upon him.
23 Whoever (CN)rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than (CO)he who flatters with his tongue.
24 Whoever robs his father or his mother
and says, “That is no transgression,”
is (CP)a companion to a man who destroys.
25 A greedy man (CQ)stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will (CR)be enriched.
26 Whoever (CS)trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
27 Whoever (CT)gives to the poor will not want,
but he who (CU)hides his eyes will get many a curse.
28 When (CV)the wicked rise, (CW)people hide themselves,
but when they perish, the righteous increase.
29 (CX)He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
will suddenly be (CY)broken (CZ)beyond healing.
2 When (DA)the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
but when (DB)the wicked rule, the people groan.
3 He who (DC)loves wisdom makes his father glad,
but (DD)a companion of prostitutes (DE)squanders his wealth.
4 By justice a king (DF)builds up the land,
but he who exacts gifts[k] tears it down.
5 (DG)A man who flatters his neighbor
spreads (DH)a net for his feet.
6 An evil man is (DI)ensnared in his transgression,
but a righteous man (DJ)sings and rejoices.
7 A righteous man (DK)knows the rights of the poor;
a wicked man does not (DL)understand such knowledge.
8 (DM)Scoffers set a city aflame,
but the wise turn away wrath.
9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
the fool only rages and laughs, and there is (DN)no quiet.
10 Bloodthirsty men (DO)hate one who is blameless
and seek the life of the upright.[l]
11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.
12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.
13 The poor man and the oppressor (DP)meet together;
the Lord (DQ)gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king (DR)faithfully judges the poor,
his throne will (DS)be established forever.
15 (DT)The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a child left to himself (DU)brings shame to his mother.
16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
but (DV)the righteous will look upon their downfall.
17 (DW)Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart.
18 Where (DX)there is no prophetic vision the people (DY)cast off restraint,[m]
but blessed is he who (DZ)keeps the law.
19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
for though he understands, he will not respond.
20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
(EA)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
will in the end find him his heir.[n]
22 (EB)A man of wrath stirs up strife,
and one given to anger causes much transgression.
23 (EC)One's pride will bring him low,
(ED)but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
24 The partner of a thief (EE)hates his own life;
(EF)he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
25 (EG)The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
26 Many (EH)seek the face of a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that a man (EI)gets justice.
27 (EJ)An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
- Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross
- Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel
- Proverbs 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners
- Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
- Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another
- Proverbs 28:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor
- Proverbs 28:14 Hebrew lacks the Lord
- Proverbs 28:17 Hebrew until the pit
- Proverbs 28:22 Hebrew A man whose eye is evil
- Proverbs 29:4 Or who taxes heavily
- Proverbs 29:10 Or but the upright seek his soul
- Proverbs 29:18 Or the people are discouraged
- Proverbs 29:21 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered his heir is uncertain
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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