Proverbs — Chapter 29
One oft reproved may become stiffnecked—But then will be suddenly broken beyond repair.
When the righteous become great the people rejoice,But when the wicked dominate the people groan.
A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,But he who keeps company with prostitutes will lose his wealth.
By justice a king sustains the land,But a fraudulent manaa fraudulent man I.e., a monarch who is by nature deceitful. tears it down.
A man who flatters his fellowSpreads a net for his feet.
An evil man’s offenses are a trap for himself,But a righteous person sings out joyously.
The righteous are concerned with the cause of the wretched;The wicked cannot understand such concern.
Scoffers inflame a city,But the wise allay anger.
When someone who is wisebwho is wise I.e., who aspires to be so. enters into litigation with a foolThere is ranting and ridicule, but no satisfaction.
Those who are bloodthirsty detest the blameless,But the upright seek them out.
A dullard gives full vent to rage,But a wise person calms it down.
A ruler who listens to lies—All his ministers will be wicked.
The poor and the fraudulent meet;cmeet Occasionally, as members of society. GOD gives luster to the eyes of both.
A king who judges the wretched honestly—His throne will be established forever.
Rod and reproof produce wisdom,But a youth out of control is a disgrace to his mother.
When the wicked increase, offenses increase,But the righteous will see their downfall.
Discipline your son and he will give you peace;He will gratify you with dainties.
For lack of vision a people lose restraint,But happy is he who heeds instruction.
A slave cannot be disciplined by words;Though he may comprehend, he does not respond.
If you see a man hasty in speech,There is more hope for a fool than for him.
A slave pampered from youthWill come to a bad end.dWill come to a bad end Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
An angry man provokes a quarrel;A hothead commits many offenses.
Pride of mortals will bring humiliation,But one who is humble will obtain honor.
He who shares with a thief is his own enemy;He hears the imprecation and does not tell.ehears the imprecation and does not tell Cf. Lev. 5.1.
A person’s fears becomefA person’s fears become Or “Fear of other people becomes.” a trap,But one who trusts in GOD shall be safeguarded.
Many seek audience with a ruler,But it is from GOD that a [wronged] party gets justice.
The unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,And one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
The Path to Wisdom
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
Quran 39:9
“Are those who know equal to those who do not know?”
Humility & Surrender
Bhagavad Gita 18:66
“Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.”
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Tao Te Ching 22
“If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”
Quran 2:45
“Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”