Proverbs 29

¹Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism

will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery.

²When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.

But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

³The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,

but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth is wasted.

⁴A just king gives stability to his nation,

but one who demands bribes destroys it.

⁵To flatter friends

is to lay a trap for their feet.

⁶Evil people are trapped by sin,

but the righteous escape, shouting for joy.

⁷The godly care about the rights of the poor;

the wicked don’t care at all.

⁸Mockers can get a whole town agitated,

but the wise will calm anger.

⁹If a wise person takes a fool to court,

there will be ranting and ridicule but no satisfaction.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate blameless people,

but the upright seek to help them.^a

¹¹Fools vent their anger,

but the wise quietly hold it back.

¹²If a ruler pays attention to liars,

all his advisers will be wicked.

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common—

the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴If a king judges the poor fairly,

his throne will last forever.

¹⁵To discipline a child produces wisdom,

but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.

¹⁶When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,

but the godly will live to see their downfall.

¹⁷Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind

and will make your heart glad.

¹⁸When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.

But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

¹⁹Words alone will not discipline a servant;

the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.

²⁰There is more hope for a fool

than for someone who speaks without thinking.

²¹A servant pampered from childhood

will become a rebel.

²²An angry person starts fights;

a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.

²³Pride ends in humiliation,

while humility brings honor.

²⁴If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.

You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.

²⁵Fearing people is a dangerous trap,

but trusting the Lord means safety.

²⁶Many seek the ruler’s favor,

but justice comes from the Lord.

²⁷The righteous despise the unjust;

the wicked despise the godly.