Proverbs 29

A person who is corrected many times and still stiffens his neck against it will be broken all at once, and there will be no fixing it.

1He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Note"Stiffens his neck" is a farming image: an ox that locks its neck against the yoke and refuses to be steered. In Hebrew it is the standard phrase for stubborn refusal to be told anything.

2When people who do right hold power, everyone is glad. But when wicked people rule, the people groan.

2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

NoteThe Hebrew verb behind "hold power" can mean either "become many" or "become great," so the line may picture righteous people increasing in number or rising to authority. The King James chose the second sense; other translations choose the first.

3A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a man who spends his time with prostitutes wastes everything he owns.

3Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

4A king who rules with justice makes his country steady. But a man who exacts payments tears it down.

4The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.

NoteThe Hebrew calls the second king literally "a man of contributions", a word used both for taxes and tribute and for bribes taken by officials. The point is a ruler who treats his country as a source of income, but which kind of taking is meant is not specified.

5A man who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his neighbor's feet.

5A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

6An evil man is trapped by his own wrongdoing, but a person who does right sings and is glad.

6In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare: but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

7A person who does right pays attention to the legal cause of the poor, but a wicked person does not even care to find out about them.

7The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

8Men who sneer at everything set a whole city in an uproar, but wise men turn anger away.

8Scornful men bring a city into a snare: but wise men turn away wrath.

9When a wise man takes a fool to court, there is ranting and there is laughing, and nothing ever gets settled.

9If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.

NoteThe verb describes a legal dispute as well as a quarrel generally. The Hebrew also leaves open who is raging and laughing (the fool, the wise man, or both by turns) and simply says there is no quiet.

10Men who want blood hate a person who is honest, but upright people look out for his life.

10The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.

NoteThe second half is genuinely difficult. "Seek his life" (King James "seek his soul") is elsewhere in the Old Testament a phrase for trying to kill someone, so the line can be read as "the bloodthirsty hate the honest man, and even the upright are after his life," or, taking the phrase in a good sense, as upright people looking out for him. Translators divide.

11A fool lets out everything he feels at once, but a wise man holds it back until later.

11A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

NoteThe word rendered "everything he feels" is Hebrew *ruach*, breath or wind, used for a person's temper or mood. The fool empties it all out; the wise man keeps it in.

12If a ruler listens to lies, every one of his officials will end up corrupt.

12If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

13The poor man and the oppressor have this much in common: the LORD gives light to the eyes of them both.

13The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.

Note"Gives light to the eyes" is an idiom for keeping someone alive, bright eyes meant a living, healthy person, dim eyes meant one near death. The saying is that rich and poor alike draw their life from the same source.

14If a king judges poor people honestly, his throne will stand firm forever.

14The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

15Correction, both the rod and the spoken word, gives a child wisdom. But a child left to do as he pleases brings shame on his mother.

15The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

NoteThe rod was the ordinary instrument of household and school discipline in ancient Israel, a stick or switch; the same word is used for a shepherd's staff and a ruler's scepter. Proverbs pairs it here with spoken correction rather than setting it against it.

16When wicked people increase, so does wrongdoing. But those who do right will see them fall.

16When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

17Correct your son, and he will give you peace. Yes, he will bring you real delight.

17Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

18Where there is no message from God, the people throw off all restraint. But the one who keeps the law is well off.

18Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Note"Vision" means a message received by a prophet, a word from God delivered to the community. The King James "perish" translates a Hebrew verb that means to run loose or throw off restraint, the word used of the Israelites running wild while Moses was on the mountain; it is about a people out of control rather than a people dying out.

19A servant will not be corrected by words alone. He understands them, but he will not respond.

19A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.

Note"Servant" here means a bondservant or slave, a household worker who was owned or bound by debt, not an employee who could quit. The saying assumes a system in which such a person had no reason to answer back and no stake in cooperating.

20Do you see a man who speaks before he thinks? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

20Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

21A man who pampers his servant from childhood will find, in the end, that the servant acts like a son in the house.

21He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

NoteThe last word of this verse in Hebrew, *manon*, appears nowhere else in the Bible and nobody knows what it means. Ancient and modern translators have guessed "son" or "heir" (as here and in the King James), and also "grief," "trouble," or "ingratitude." The first half is clear, a servant pampered from childhood, but how it turns out is a guess.

22An angry man starts fights, and a man with a hot temper does wrong again and again.

22An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

23A man's pride will bring him down low, but a humble spirit will gain honor.

23A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

24Whoever goes partners with a thief is his own worst enemy. He hears the public call to testify, and he says nothing.

24Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

NoteIn Israelite law, when a crime had no known witness a public curse could be pronounced calling down disaster on anyone who knew something and stayed silent. To "hear the curse" was to be legally summoned to speak. The thief's partner hears it, keeps quiet, and so brings the curse on himself. The King James "bewrayeth it not" means "does not disclose it", "bewray" is an old word for reveal, unrelated to "betray."

25Being afraid of what people will do is a trap, but whoever trusts the LORD is set safely out of reach.

25The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

NoteThe Hebrew for the second half pictures a person set up on a height, out of reach of attackers, the image behind "safe" is a cliff-top refuge, not merely being unharmed.

26Many people try to get on the ruler's good side, but it is from the LORD that a person gets justice.

26Many seek the ruler’s favour; but every man’s judgment cometh from the LORD.

NoteThe Hebrew is literally "many seek the ruler's face", an idiom for angling to be received at court and get a favorable hearing from the man in power.

27A person who does right cannot stand an unjust man, and a wicked person cannot stand someone who lives an honest life.

27An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.