27¹ Don’t boast about tomorrow;
for you don’t know what a day may bring forth.

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

³ A stone is heavy,
and sand is a burden;
but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both. ⁴ Wrath is cruel,
and anger is overwhelming;
but who is able to stand before jealousy?

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

⁷ A full soul loathes a honeycomb;
but to a hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸ As a bird that wanders from her nest,
so is a man who wanders from his home.

⁹ Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart;
so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend. ¹⁰ Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend.
Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster:
better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.

¹¹ Be wise, my son,
and bring joy to my heart,
then I can answer my tormentor.

¹² A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge;
but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

¹³ Take his garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger.
Hold it for a wayward woman!

¹⁴ He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
it will be taken as a curse by him.

¹⁵ A continual dropping on a rainy day
and a contentious wife are alike: ¹⁶ restraining her is like restraining the wind,
or like grasping oil in his right hand.

¹⁷ Iron sharpens iron;
so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

¹⁸ Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit.
He who looks after his master shall be honored.

¹⁹ As water reflects a face,
so a man’s heart reflects the man.

²⁰ Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied;
and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

²¹ The crucible is for silver,
and the furnace for gold;
but man is refined by his praise.

²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain,
yet his foolishness will not be removed from him.

²³ Know well the state of your flocks,
and pay attention to your herds: ²⁴ for riches are not forever,
nor does even the crown endure to all generations. ²⁵ The hay is removed, and the new growth appears,
the grasses of the hills are gathered in. ²⁶ The lambs are for your clothing,
and the goats are the price of a field. ²⁷ There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food,
for your family’s food,
and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

The Wicked and the Righteous

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

² In rebellion, a land has many rulers,
but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

³ A needy man who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

⁴ Those who forsake the law praise the wicked;
but those who keep the law contend with them.

⁵ Evil men don’t understand justice;
but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.

⁶ Better is the poor who walks in his integrity,
than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

⁷ Whoever keeps the law is a wise son;
but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸ He who increases his wealth by excessive interest
gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

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

¹⁰ Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
he will fall into his own trap;
but the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own eyes;
but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

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

¹³ He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴ Blessed is the man who always fears;
but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵ As a roaring lion or a charging bear,
so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment.
One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

¹⁷ A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death;
no one will support him.

¹⁸ Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe;
but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

¹⁹ One who works his land will have an abundance of food;
but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰ A faithful man is rich with blessings;
but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

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

²² A stingy man hurries after riches,
and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.

²³ One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not wrong.”
He is a partner with a destroyer.

²⁵ One who is greedy stirs up strife;
but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.

²⁶ One who trusts in himself is a fool;
but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷ One who gives to the poor has no lack;
but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸ When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
but when they perish, the righteous thrive.

29¹ He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck
will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

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

³ Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father;
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴ The king by justice makes the land stable,
but he who takes bribes tears it down.

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

⁶ An evil man is snared by his sin,
but the righteous can sing and be glad.

⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor.
The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge.

⁸ Mockers stir up a city,
but wise men turn away anger.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man,
the fool rages or scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰ The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity;
and they seek the life of the upright.

¹¹ A fool vents all of his anger,
but a wise man brings himself under control.

¹² If a ruler listens to lies,
all of his officials are wicked.

¹³ The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
Yahweh gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴ The king who fairly judges the poor,
his throne shall be established forever.

¹⁵ The rod of correction gives wisdom,
but a child left to himself causes shame to his mother.

¹⁶ When the wicked increase, sin increases;
but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷ Correct your son, and he will give you peace;
yes, he will bring delight to your soul.

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but one who keeps the law is blessed.

¹⁹ A servant can’t be corrected by words.
Though he understands, yet 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 He who pampers his servant from youth
will have him become a son in the end.

²² An angry man stirs up strife,
and a wrathful man abounds in sin.

²³ A man’s pride brings him low,
but one of lowly spirit gains honor.

²⁴ Whoever is an accomplice of a thief is an enemy of his own soul.
He takes an oath, but dares not testify.

²⁵ The fear of man proves to be a snare,
but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.

²⁶ Many seek the ruler’s favor,
but a man’s justice comes from Yahweh.

²⁷ A dishonest man detests the righteous,
and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.

Paul's Defense of His Ministry

10¹ Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you. ² Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; ⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds, ⁵ throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; ⁶ and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

⁷ Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s. ⁸ For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed, ⁹ that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters. ¹⁰ For, “His letters,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.” ¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

¹² For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding. ¹³ But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ, ¹⁵ not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence, ¹⁶ so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done. ¹⁷ But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.” [1] ¹⁸ For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.