Proverbs 29-31

Proverbs 29

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

²When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

³Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; but he that is a companion of harlots destroyeth his substance.

⁴A king by just judgment establisheth the land; but he that taketh gifts overthroweth it.

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

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

⁷The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause of the poor; the wicked understandeth not knowledge.

⁸Scornful men set the city in a flame; but the wise turn away anger.

⁹If a wise man contendeth with a fool, whether he rage or laugh, he hath no rest.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate the perfect, but the upright care for his soul.

¹¹A fool uttereth all his mind; but a wise man keepeth it back.

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

¹³The indigent and the oppressor meet together; Jehovah lighteneth the eyes of them both.

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

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

¹⁶When the wicked increase, transgression increaseth; but the righteous shall see their fall.

¹⁷Chasten thy son, and he shall give thee rest, and shall give delight unto thy soul.

¹⁸Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint; but happy is he that keepeth the law.

¹⁹A servant is not corrected by words: he understandeth indeed, but he will not answer.

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

²¹He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child, shall in the end have him as a son.

²²An angry man exciteth contention; and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

²³A man's pride bringeth him low; but the humble in spirit shall obtain honour.

²⁴Whoso shareth with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth the adjuration, and declareth not.

²⁵The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his confidence in Jehovah is protected.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's face; but a man's right judgment is from Jehovah.

²⁷An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; and he that is of upright way is an abomination to the wicked man.

Proverbs 30

¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal:

²Truly *I* am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

³I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.

⁴Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

⁵Every word of +God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

⁶Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

⁷Two things do I ask of thee; deny me them not before I die:

⁸Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

⁹lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.

¹⁰Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

¹²there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

¹³there is a generation, -- how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!

¹⁴-- a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

¹⁵The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three things never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:

¹⁶-- Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.

¹⁷The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁸There are three things too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

²⁰Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

²¹Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

²²Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;

²³under an odious woman when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.

²⁴There are four things little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:

²⁵The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

²⁶the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;

²⁷the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

²⁸thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

²⁹There are three things which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:

³⁰The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;

³¹a horse girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

³²If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay the hand upon thy mouth.

³³For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.

Proverbs 31

¹The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

²What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows?

³Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to say, Where is the strong drink?

⁵-- lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the children of affliction.

⁶Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul:

⁷let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate.

⁹Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and minister justice to the afflicted and needy.

¹⁰Who can find a woman of worth? for her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband confideth in her, and he shall have no lack of spoil.

¹²She doeth him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

¹³She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships: she bringeth her food from afar;

¹⁵And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and the day's work to her maidens.

¹⁶She considereth a field, and acquireth it; of the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and maketh strong her arms.

¹⁸She perceiveth that her earning is good; her lamp goeth not out by night.

¹⁹She putteth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the afflicted, and she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She maketh herself coverlets; her clothing is byssus and purple.

²³Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

²⁴She maketh body linen and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laugheth at the coming day.

²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and upon her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷She surveyeth the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her:

²⁹Many daughters have done worthily, but thou excellest them all.

³⁰Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.