Proverbs 29

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Proverbs 29

1A reprover is better than a stiff-necked man: for when the latter is suddenly set on fire, there shall be no remedy.Κρείσσων ἀνὴρ ἐλέγχων ἀνδρὸς σκληροτραχήλου, ἐξαπίνης γὰρ φλεγομένου αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴασις.

2When the righteous are praised, the people will rejoice: but when the ungodly rule, men mourn.Ἐγκωμιαζομένων δικαίων εὐφρανθήσονται λαοὶ, ἀρχόντων δὲ ἀσεβῶν στένουσιν ἄνδρες.

3When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices: but he that keeps harlots will waste wealth.Ἀνδρὸς φιλοῦντος σοφίαν εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, ὃς δὲ ποιμαίνει πόρνας ἀπολεῖ πλοῦτον.

4A righteous king establishes a country: but a transgressor destroys it.Βασιλεὺς δίκαιος ἀνίστησι χώραν, ἀνὴρ δὲ παράνομος κατασκάπτει.

5He that prepares a net in the way of his own friend, entangles his own feet in it.Ὃς παρασκευάζεται ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ φιλου δίκτυον, περιβάλλει αὐτὸ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ποσίν.

6A great snare is spread for a sinner: but the righteous shall be in joy and gladness.Ἁμαρτάνοντι ἀνδρὶ μεγάλη παγὶς, δίκαιος δὲ ἐν χαρᾷ καὶ ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ ἔσται.

7A righteous man knows how to judge for the poor: but the ungodly understands not knowledge; and the poor man has not an understanding mind.Ἐπίσταται δίκαιος κρίνειν πενιχροῖς, ὁ δὲ ἀσεβὴς οὐ νοεῖ γνῶσιν, καὶ πτωχῷ οὐχ ὑπάρχει νοῦς ἐπιγνώμων.

8Lawless men burn down a city: but wise men turn away wrath.Ἄνδρες ἄνομοι ἐξέκαυσαν πόλιν, σοφοὶ δὲ ἀπέστρεψαν ὀργήν.

9A wise man shall judge nations: but a worthless man being angry laughs and fears not.Ἀνὴρ σοφὸς κρινεῖ ἔθνη, ἀνὴρ δὲ φαῦλος ὀργιζόμενος καταγελᾶται καὶ οὐ καταπτήσσει.

10Bloody men hate a holy person, but the upright will seek his soul.Ἄνδρες αἱμάτων μέτοχοι μισοῦσιν ὅσιον, οἱ δὲ εὐθεῖς ἐκζητήσουσι ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ.

11A fool utters all his mind: but the wise reserves his in part.Ὅλον τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκφέρει ἄφρων, σοφὸς δὲ ταμιεύεται κατὰ μέρος.

12When a king hearkens to unjust language, all his subjects are transgressors.Βασιλέως ὑπακούοντος λόγον ἄδικον, πάντες οἱ ὑπʼ αὐτὸν παράνομοι.

13When the creditor and debtor meet together, the Lord oversees them both.Δανιστοῦ καὶ χρεωφειλέτου ἀλλήλοις συνελθόντων, ἐπισκοπὴν ἀμφοτέρων ποιεῖται ὁ Κύριος.

14When a king judges the poor in truth, his throne shall be established * for a testimony.Βασιλέως ἐν ἀληθείᾳ κρίνοντος πτωχοὺς, ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ εἰς μαρτύριον κατασταθήσεται.

15Stripes and reproofs give wisdom: but an erring child disgraces his parents.Πληγαὶ καὶ ἔλεγχοι διδόασι σοφίαν, παῖς δὲ πλανώμενος αἰσχύνει γονεῖς αὐτοῦ.

16When the ungodly abound, sins abound: but when they fall, the righteous are warned.Πολλῶν ὄντων ἀσεβῶν πολλαὶγίνονται ἁμαρτίαι, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι ἐκείνων πιπτόντων κατάφοβοι γίνονται.

17Chasten your son, and he shall give you rest; and he shall give honor to your soul.Παίδευε υἱόν σου, καὶ ἀναπαύσει σε, καὶ δώσει κόσμον τῇ ψυχῇ σου.

18There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation: but he that observes the law is † blessed.Οὐ μὴ ὑπάρξῃ ἐξηγητὴς ἔθνει παρανόμῳ, ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὸν νόμον μακαριστός.

19A stubborn servant will not be reproved by words: for even if he understands, still he will not obey.Λόγοις οὐ παιδευθήσεται οἰκέτης σκληρός· ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ νοήσῃ, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὑπακούσεται.

20If you see a man hasty in his words, know that the fool has hope rather than he.Ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἄνδρα ταχὺν ἐν λόγοις, γίνωσκε ὅτι ἐλπίδα ἔχει μᾶλλον ὁ ἄφρων αὐτοῦ.

21He that lives wantonly from a child, shall be a servant, and in the end shall grieve over himself.Ὃς κατασπαταλᾷ ἐκ παιδὸς, οἰκέτης ἔσται, ἔσχατον δὲ ὀδυνηθήσεται ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ·

22A furious man stirs up strife, and a passionate man digs up sin.Ἀνὴρ θυμώδης ἐγείρει νεῖκος, ἀνὴρ δὲ ὀργίλος ἐξώρυξεν ἁμαρτίαν.

23Pride brings a man low, but the Lord upholds the humble-minded with honor.Ὕβρις ἄνδρα ταπεινοῖ, τοὺς δὲ ταπεινόφρονας ἐρείδει δόξῃ Κύριος.

24He that shares with a thief, hates his own soul: and if any having heard an oath uttered tell not of it,Ὃς μερίζεται κλέπτῃ, μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν· ἐὰν δὲ ὅρκου προτεθέντος ἀκούσαντες μὴ ἀναγγείλωσι,

25they fearing and reverencing men unreasonably have been overthrown, but he that trusts in the Lord shall rejoice. Ungodliness causes a man to stumble: but he that trusts in ‡ his master shall be safe.φοβηθέντες καὶ αἰσχυνθέντες ἀνθρώπους ὑπεσκελίσθησαν, ὁ δὲ πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ Κυρίῳ εὐφρανθήσεται· ἀσέβεια ἀνδρὶ δίδωσι σφάλμα, ὃς δὲ πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῷ δεσπότῃ σωθήσεται.

26Many wait on the favor of rulers; but justice comes to a man from the Lord.Πολλοὶ θεραπεύουσι πρόσωπα ἡγουμένων, παρὰ δὲ Κυρίου γίνεται τὸ δίκαιον ἀνδρί.

27A righteous man is an abomination to an unrighteous man, and the direct way is an abomination to the sinner.Βδέλυγμα δίκαιος ἀνὴρ ἀνδρὶ ἀδίκῳ, βδέλυγμα δὲ ἀνόμῳ κατευθύνουσα ὁδός.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 14*Heb. 'for ever.' See Amos 1. 11; Mich 7. 18; in the Greek.
• v. 18†Or, 'most blessed.'
• v. 25‡Possibly, 'in the Lord.' See 2 Pet 2:1.