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

1 Don't brag about tomorrow; you don't know what may happen then.

2 Don't praise yourself. Let someone else do it. Let the praise come from a stranger and not from your own mouth.

3 Stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a complaining fool is worse than either.

4 Anger is cruel and destroys like a flood, but no one can put up with jealousy!

5 It is better to correct someone openly than to have love and not show it.

6 The slap of a friend can be trusted to help you, but the kisses of an enemy are nothing but lies.

7 When you are full, not even honey tastes good, but when you are hungry, even something bitter tastes sweet.

8 A person who leaves his home is like a bird that leaves its nest.

9 The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and so is good advice from a friend.

10 Don't forget your friend or your parent's friend. Don't always go to your family for help when trouble comes. A neighbor close by is better than a family far away.

11 Be wise, my child, and make me happy. Then I can respond to any insult.

12 The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.

13 Take the coat of someone who promises to pay a stranger's loan, and keep it until he pays what the stranger owes.

14 If you loudly greet your neighbor early in the morning, he will think of it as a curse.

15 A quarreling wife is as bothersome as a continual dripping on a rainy day.

16 Stopping her is like stopping the wind or trying to grab oil in your hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.

18 Whoever tends a fig tree gets to eat its fruit, and whoever takes care of his master will receive honor.

19 As water reflects your face, so your mind shows what kind of person you are.

20 People will never stop dying and being destroyed, and they will never stop wanting more than they have.

21 A hot furnace tests silver and gold, and people are tested by the praise they receive.

22 Even if you ground up a foolish person like grain in a bowl, you couldn't remove the foolishness.

23 Be sure you know how your sheep are doing, and pay attention to the condition of your cattle.

24 Riches will not go on forever, nor do governments go on forever.

25 Bring in the hay, and let the new grass appear. Gather the grass from the hills.

26 Make clothes from the lambs' wool, and sell some goats to buy a field.

27 There will be plenty of goat's milk to feed you and your family and to make your servant girls healthy.

1 Evil people run even though no one is chasing them, but good people are as brave as a lion.

2 When a country is lawless, it has one ruler after another; but when it is led by a man with understanding and knowledge, it continues strong.

3 Rulers who mistreat the poor are like a hard rain that destroys the crops.

4 Those who disobey what they have been taught praise the wicked, but those who obey what they have been taught are against them.

5 Evil people do not understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand it completely.

6 It is better to be poor and innocent than to be rich and wicked.

7 Children who obey what they have been taught are smart, but friends of troublemakers disgrace their parents.

8 Some people get rich by overcharging others, but their wealth will be given to those who are kind to the poor.

9 If you refuse to obey what you have been taught, your prayers will not be heard.

10 Those who lead good people to do wrong will be ruined by their own evil, but the innocent will be rewarded with good things.

11 Rich people may think they are wise, but the poor with understanding will prove them wrong.

12 When good people triumph, there is great happiness, but when the wicked get control, everybody hides.

13 If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.

14 Those who are always respectful will be happy, but those who are stubborn will get into trouble.

15 A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people as a roaring lion or a charging bear.

16 A ruler without wisdom will be cruel, but the one who refuses to take dishonest money will rule a long time.

17 Don't help those who are guilty of murder; let them run until they die.

18 Innocent people will be kept safe, but those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined.

19 Those who work their land will have plenty of food, but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor.

20 A truthful person will have many blessings, but those eager to get rich will be punished.

21 It is not good for a judge to take sides, but some will sin for only a piece of bread.

22 Selfish people are in a hurry to get rich and do not realize they soon will be poor.

23 Those who correct others will later be liked more than those who give false praise.

24 Whoever robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong," is just like someone who destroys things.

25 A greedy person causes trouble, but the one who trusts the Lord will succeed.

26 Those who trust in themselves are foolish, but those who live wisely will be kept safe.

27 Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he needs, but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses.

28 When the wicked get control, everybody hides, but when they die, good people do well.

1 Whoever is stubborn after being corrected many times will suddenly be hurt beyond cure.

2 When good people do well, everyone is happy, but when evil people rule, everyone groans.

3 Those who love wisdom make their parents happy, but friends of prostitutes waste their money.

4 If a king is fair, he makes his country strong, but if he takes gifts dishonestly, he tears his country down.

5 Those who give false praise to their neighbors are setting a trap for them.

6 Evil people are trapped by their own sin, but good people can sing and be happy.

7 Good people care about justice for the poor, but the wicked are not concerned.

8 People who make fun of wisdom cause trouble in a city, but wise people calm anger down.

9 When a wise person takes a foolish person to court, the fool only shouts or laughs, and there is no peace.

10 Murderers hate an honest person and try to kill those who do right.

11 Foolish people lose their tempers, but wise people control theirs.

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

13 The poor person and the cruel person are alike in that the Lord gave eyes to both of them.

14 If a king judges poor people fairly, his government will continue forever.

15 Correction and punishment make children wise, but those left alone will disgrace their mother.

16 When there are many wicked people, there is much sin, but those who do right will see them destroyed.

17 Correct your children, and you will be proud; they will give you satisfaction.

18 Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled, but those who obey what they have been taught are happy.

19 Words alone cannot correct a servant, because even if he understands, he won't respond.

20 Do you see people who speak too quickly? There is more hope for a foolish person than for them.

21 If you spoil your servants when they are young, they will bring you grief later on.

22 An angry person causes trouble; a person with a quick temper sins a lot.

23 Pride will ruin people, but those who are humble will be honored.

24 Partners of thieves are their own worst enemies. If they have to testify in court, they are afraid to say anything.

25 Being afraid of people can get you into trouble, but if you trust the Lord, you will be safe.

26 Many people want to speak to a ruler, but justice comes only from the Lord.

27 Good people hate those who are dishonest, and the wicked hate those who are honest.

1 I, Paul, am begging you with the gentleness and the kindness of Christ. Some people say that I am easy on you when I am with you and bold when I am away.

2 They think we live in a worldly way, and I plan to be very bold with them when I come. I beg you that when I come I will not need to use that same boldness with you.

3 We do live in the world, but we do not fight in the same way the world fights.

4 We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy's strong places. We destroy people's arguments

5 and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.

6 We are ready to punish anyone there who does not obey, but first we want you to obey fully.

7 You must look at the facts before you. If you feel sure that you belong to Christ, you must remember that we belong to Christ just as you do.

8 It is true that we brag freely about the authority the Lord gave us. But this authority is to build you up, not to tear you down. So I will not be ashamed.

9 I do not want you to think I am trying to scare you with my letters.

10 Some people say, "Paul's letters are powerful and sound important, but when he is with us, he is weak. And his speaking is nothing."

11 They should know this: We are not there with you now, so we say these things in letters. But when we are there with you, we will show the same authority that we show in our letters.

12 We do not dare to compare ourselves with those who think they are very important. They use themselves to measure themselves, and they judge themselves by what they themselves are. This shows that they know nothing.

13 But we will not brag about things outside the work that was given us to do. We will limit our bragging to the work that God gave us, and this includes our work with you.

14 We are not bragging too much, as we would be if we had not already come to you. But we have come to you with the Good News of Christ.

15 We limit our bragging to the work that is ours, not what others have done. We hope that as your faith continues to grow, you will help our work to grow much larger.

16 We want to tell the Good News in the areas beyond your city. We do not want to brag about work that has already been done in another person's area.

17 But, "If someone wants to brag, he should brag only about the Lord."

18 It is not those who say they are good who are accepted but those who the Lord thinks are good.