Proverbs 27; Proverbs 28; Proverbs 29; 2 Corinthians 10

1 Do not brag about tomorrow, because you do not know what another day may bring.

2 Praise should come from another person and not from your own mouth, from a stranger and not from your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy, and sand weighs a lot, but annoyance caused by a stubborn fool is heavier than both.

4 Anger is cruel, and fury is overwhelming, but who can survive jealousy?

5 Open criticism is better than unexpressed love.

6 Wounds made by a friend are intended to help, but an enemy's kisses are too much to bear.

7 One who is full despises honey, but to one who is hungry, even bitter food tastes sweet.

8 Like a bird wandering from its nest, so is a husband wandering from his home.

9 Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.

10 Do not abandon your friend or your father's friend. Do not go to a relative's home when you are in trouble. A neighbor living nearby is better than a relative far away.

11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad so that I can answer anyone who criticizes me.

12 Sensible people foresee trouble and hide. Gullible people go ahead [and] suffer.

13 Hold on to the garment of one who guarantees a stranger's loan, and hold responsible the person who makes a loan in behalf of a foreigner.

14 Whoever blesses his friend early in the morning with a loud voice-- his blessing is considered a curse.

15 Constantly dripping water on a rainy day is like a quarreling woman.

16 Whoever can control her can control the wind. He can even pick up olive oil with his right hand.

17 [As] iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another.

18 Whoever takes care of a fig tree can eat its fruit, and whoever protects his master is honored.

19 As a face is reflected in water, so a person is reflected by his heart.

20 Hell and decay are never satisfied, and a person's eyes are never satisfied.

21 The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but a person [is tested] by the praise given to him.

22 If you crush a stubborn fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, [even then] his stupidity will not leave him.

23 Be fully aware of the condition of your flock, and pay close attention to your herds.

24 Wealth is not forever. Nor does a crown last from one generation to the next.

25 [When] grass is cut short, the tender growth appears, and vegetables are gathered on the hills.

26 Lambs [will provide] you with clothing, and the money from the male goats will buy a field.

27 There will be enough goat milk to feed you, to feed your family, and to keep your servant girls alive.

1 A wicked person flees when no one is chasing him, but righteous people are as bold as lions.

2 When a country is in revolt, it has many rulers, but only with a person who has understanding and knowledge will it last a long time.

3 A poor person who oppresses poorer people is like a driving rain that leaves no food.

4 Those who abandon [God's] teachings praise wicked people, but those who follow [God's] teachings oppose wicked people.

5 Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand everything.

6 Better to be a poor person who has integrity than to be rich and double-dealing.

7 Whoever follows [God's] teachings is a wise son. Whoever associates with gluttons disgraces his father.

8 Whoever becomes wealthy through [unfair] loans and interest collects them for the one who is kind to the poor.

9 Surely the prayer of someone who refuses to listen to [God's] teachings is disgusting.

10 Whoever leads decent people into evil will fall into his own pit, but innocent people will inherit good things.

11 A rich person is wise in his own eyes, but a poor person with understanding sees right through him.

12 When righteous people triumph, there is great glory, but when wicked people rise, people hide themselves.

13 Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.

14 Blessed is the one who is always fearful [of sin], but whoever is hard-hearted falls into disaster.

15 [Like] a roaring lion and a charging bear, [so] a wicked ruler is a threat to poor people.

16 A leader without understanding taxes [his people] heavily, but those who hate unjust gain will live longer.

17 A person burdened with the guilt of murder will be a fugitive down to his grave. No one will help him.

18 Whoever lives honestly will be safe. Whoever lives dishonestly will fall all at once.

19 Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat. Whoever chases unrealistic dreams will have plenty of nothing.

20 A trustworthy person has many blessings, but anyone in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.

21 Showing partiality is not good, because some people will turn on you even for a piece of bread.

22 A stingy person is in a hurry to get rich, not realizing that poverty is about to overtake him.

23 Whoever criticizes people will be more highly regarded in the future than the one who flatters with his tongue.

24 The one who robs his father or his mother and says, "It isn't wrong!" is a companion to a vandal.

25 A greedy person stirs up a fight, but whoever trusts the LORD prospers.

26 Whoever trusts his own heart is a fool. Whoever walks in wisdom will survive.

27 Whoever gives to the poor lacks nothing. Whoever ignores the poor receives many curses.

28 When wicked people rise, people hide. When they die, righteous people increase.

1 A person who will not bend after many warnings will suddenly be broken beyond repair.

2 When righteous people increase, the people [of God] rejoice, but when a wicked person rules, everybody groans.

3 A person who loves wisdom makes his father happy, but one who pays prostitutes wastes his wealth.

4 By means of justice, a king builds up a country, but a person who confiscates religious contributions tears it down.

5 A person who flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for him to step into.

6 To an evil person sin is bait in a trap, but a righteous person runs away from it and is glad.

7 A righteous person knows the just cause of the poor. A wicked person does not understand this.

8 Mockers create an uproar in a city, but wise people turn away anger.

9 When a wise person goes to court with a stubborn fool, he may rant and rave, but there is no peace and quiet.

10 Bloodthirsty people hate an innocent person, but decent people seek [to protect] his life.

11 A fool expresses all his emotions, but a wise person controls them.

12 If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.

13 A poor person and an oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives both of them sight.

14 When a king judges the poor with honesty, his throne will always be secure.

15 A spanking and a warning produce wisdom, but an undisciplined child disgraces his mother.

16 When wicked people increase, crime increases, but righteous people will witness their downfall.

17 Correct your son, and he will give you peace of mind. He will bring delight to your soul.

18 Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow [God's] teachings.

19 A slave cannot be disciplined with words. He will not respond, though he may understand.

20 Have you met a person who is quick to answer? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

21 Pamper a slave from childhood, and later he will be ungrateful.

22 An angry person stirs up a fight, and a hothead does much wrong.

23 A person's pride will humiliate him, but a humble spirit gains honor.

24 Whoever is a thief's partner hates his own life. He will not testify under oath.

25 A person's fear sets a trap [for him], but one who trusts the LORD is safe.

26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, but justice for humanity comes from the LORD.

27 An unjust person is disgusting to righteous people. A decent person is disgusting to wicked people.

1 I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I'm the one who is humble when I'm with you but forceful toward you when I'm not with you.

2 I beg you that when I am with you I won't have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives.

3 Of course we are human, but we don't fight like humans.

4 The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people's defenses, that is, their arguments

5 and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.

6 We are ready to punish every act of disobedience when you have become completely obedient.

7 Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident he belongs to Christ, he should take note that we also belong to Christ.

8 So, if I brag a little too much about the authority which the Lord gave us, I'm not ashamed. The Lord gave us this authority to help you, not to hurt you.

9 I don't want you to think that I'm trying to frighten you with my letters.

10 I know that someone is saying that my letters are powerful and strong, but that I'm a weakling and a terrible speaker.

11 The person who is saying those things should take note of this fact: When we are with you we will do the things that we wrote about in our letters when we weren't with you.

12 We wouldn't put ourselves in the same class with or compare ourselves to those who are bold enough to make their own recommendations. Certainly, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves to themselves, they show how foolish they are.

13 How can we brag about things that no one can evaluate? Instead, we will only brag about what God has given us to do--coming to [the city of Corinth] where you live.

14 It's not as though we hadn't already been to Corinth. We're not overstating the facts. The fact is that we were the first to arrive in Corinth with the Good News about Christ.

15 How can we brag about things done by others that can't be evaluated? We have confidence that as your faith grows, you will think enough of us to give us the help we need to carry out our assignment--

16 spreading the Good News in the regions far beyond you. We won't brag about things already accomplished by someone else.

17 "Whoever brags should brag about what the Lord has done."

18 It isn't the person who makes his own recommendation who receives approval, but the person whom the Lord recommends.