27¹ Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

² Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.

³ A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool's provocation is heavier than both. ⁴ Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵ Better is open rebuke than hidden love. ⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

⁷ One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

⁹ Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[1] ¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.

¹¹ Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.

¹² The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

¹³ Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger, and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.[2]

¹⁴ Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, will be counted as cursing.

¹⁵ A continual dripping on a rainy day and a quarrelsome wife are alike; ¹⁶ to restrain her is to restrain the wind or to grasp[3] oil in one's right hand.

¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.[4]

¹⁸ Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master will be honored.

¹⁹ As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

²⁰ Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

²¹ The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.

²² Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

²³ Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, ²⁴ for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations? ²⁵ When the grass is gone and the new growth appears and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered, ²⁶ the lambs will provide your clothing, and the goats the price of a field. ²⁷ There will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and maintenance for your girls.

The Wicked and the Righteous

28¹ The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

² When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

³ A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.

⁴ Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them.

⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

⁶ Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

⁷ The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸ Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit[5] gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.

⁹ If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰ Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.

¹¹ A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.

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

¹³ Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

¹⁴ Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶ A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.

¹⁷ If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death;[6] let no one help him.

¹⁸ Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

¹⁹ Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

²⁰ A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹ To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.

²² A stingy man[7] hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him.

²³ Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.

²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, "That is no transgression," is a companion to a man who destroys.

²⁵ A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.

²⁶ Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

²⁷ Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

²⁸ When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.

29¹ He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

² When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³ He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴ By justice a king builds up the land, but he who exacts gifts[8] tears it down.

⁵ A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

⁶ An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

⁷ A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

⁸ Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.

⁹ If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

¹⁰ Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless and seek the life of the upright.[9]

¹¹ A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.

¹² If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.

¹³ The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever.

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

¹⁶ When the wicked increase, transgression increases, but the righteous will look upon their downfall.

¹⁷ Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

¹⁸ Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,[10] but blessed is he who keeps the law.

¹⁹ By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.

²⁰ Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹ Whoever pampers his servant from childhood will in the end find him his heir.[11]

²² A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

²³ One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

²⁴ The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.

²⁵ The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

²⁶ Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.

²⁷ An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

Paul's Defense of His Ministry

10¹ I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!-- ² I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

¹² Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. ¹⁷ "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.