Proverbs 29 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Originally from Solomon (~970-930 BC), collected during Hezekiah's reign (~715-686 BC)
Location
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Judah
Audience
The people of Judah, court officials, and leaders
Situation
Proverbs 29 concludes the Hezekiah collection with proverbs about leadership, discipline, justice, and the contrast between wisdom and foolishness in public life.
Key Background
This chapter contains the well-known 'where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint' (v.18) — though the Hebrew 'chazon' refers to prophetic revelation, not strategic planning. The chapter's concern with rulers, judges, and social order reflects the political context of Hezekiah's Judah. Several proverbs address anger management (v.8,11,22), parental discipline (v.15,17), and the treatment of servants (v.19,21). The final verse (v.27) summarizes the book's moral worldview: the righteous and wicked are fundamentally incompatible.
Someone who their after repeated will be suddenly beyond repair.
When grow in number, everyone celebrates. When the gain power, everyone groans.
Anyone who loves makes their father glad, but someone who keeps company with prostitutes throws away their wealth.
A king who rules with makes the land stable, but one who tears it apart.
Someone who their neighbor is spreading a under their feet.
A corrupt person's own becomes a trap for them, but a good person runs free and celebrates.
A good person understands the of the A corrupt person has no interest in understanding that.
a on but wise people the down.
When a wise person takes a to court, the just rages and laughs — there's no resolution.
people hate anyone with but upright people care about protecting their life.
A fool lets all their loose, but a wise person holds it back quietly.
When a listens to lies, every one of their officials becomes corrupt.
The and the have this in common: to both their
When a king the his throne will stand secure forever.
and produce wisdom, but a child left to themselves brings shame to their mother.
When the corrupt multiply, so does But good people will watch them fall.
Discipline your child, and they will give you — they will bring to your soul.
Without people But is for anyone who keeps
A won't be corrected by words alone — they understand what you mean, but they won't respond.
See someone who There's more hope for a fool than for them.
a servant from childhood, and in the end they will become
A person stirs up conflict, and someone quick to rage piles up
A person's will bring them low, but a gains honor.
The of a thief hates their own life — they hear the to testify but say nothing.
The of other becomes a trap, but whoever is
Many an with a ruler, but for a person comes from
An unjust person is to the and someone who lives with is to the