Proverbs 29:12
New International Version
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.

New Living Translation
If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.

English Standard Version
If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.

Berean Standard Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

King James Bible
If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

New King James Version
If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.

New American Standard Bible
If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.

NASB 1995
If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.

NASB 1977
If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked.

Legacy Standard Bible
If a ruler pays attention to a lying word, All his ministers become wicked.

Amplified Bible
If a ruler pays attention to lies [and encourages corruption], All his officials will become wicked.

Christian Standard Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

American Standard Version
If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, All his servants are wicked.

Contemporary English Version
A ruler who listens to lies will have corrupt officials.

English Revised Version
If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, all his servants are wicked.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.

Good News Translation
If a ruler pays attention to false information, all his officials will be liars.

International Standard Version
When a ruler is listening to lies, all of his officials tend to become wicked.

Majority Standard Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.

NET Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his ministers will be wicked.

New Heart English Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.

Webster's Bible Translation
If a ruler hearkeneth to lies, all his servants are wicked.

World English Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all of his officials are wicked.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A ruler who is attending to lying words, "" All his ministers [are] wicked.

Young's Literal Translation
A ruler who is attending to lying words, All his ministers are wicked.

Smith's Literal Translation
A ruler listening to the word of falsehood, all serving him are unjust.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A prince that gladly heareth lying words, hath all his servants wicked.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A leader who freely listens to lying words has only impious servants.

New American Bible
If rulers listen to lying words, their servants all become wicked.

New Revised Standard Version
If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants are wicked.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
All the Servants of a Prince that hears a lying word are evil.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, All his servants are wicked.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
When a king hearkens to unjust language, all his subjects are transgressors.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Stiff-Necked will Be Destroyed
11A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. 12If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked. 13The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.…

Cross References
Isaiah 32:6
For a fool speaks foolishness; his mind plots iniquity. He practices ungodliness and speaks falsely about the LORD; he leaves the hungry empty and deprives the thirsty of drink.

1 Kings 12:6-11
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. / They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” / But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. ...

2 Chronicles 10:6-11
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. / They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” / But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him. ...

Psalm 101:7
No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.

Jeremiah 23:16
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

Micah 3:5
This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths:

Ezekiel 13:9
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

1 Samuel 8:3
But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

2 Samuel 15:3-6
Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.” / And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.” / Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him. ...

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Matthew 15:14
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Matthew 23:24
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Luke 6:39
Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

John 9:41
“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.


Treasury of Scripture

If a ruler listen to lies, all his servants are wicked.

Proverbs 20:8
A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

Proverbs 25:23
The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

1 Samuel 22:8
That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

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Attending Attention Evil-Doers False. Falsehood Gives Hearken Hearkeneth Listens Ministers Officials Pays Ruler Servants Wicked Words
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Attending Attention Evil-Doers False. Falsehood Gives Hearken Hearkeneth Listens Ministers Officials Pays Ruler Servants Wicked Words
Proverbs 29
1. observations of public government
15. and of private
22. Of anger, pride, thievery, cowardice and corruption














If a ruler listens to lies
This phrase highlights the critical role of leadership integrity. In biblical context, rulers were expected to uphold justice and truth, as seen in Deuteronomy 16:18-20, where judges and officials are commanded to judge fairly. The Hebrew word for "listens" implies not just hearing but giving heed or attention, suggesting a ruler's active choice to entertain falsehoods. Historically, rulers like King Ahab, who listened to false prophets (1 Kings 22), demonstrate the destructive consequences of such actions. This phrase warns against the moral decay that begins at the top, reflecting the biblical principle that leaders set the tone for their people (Proverbs 29:2).

all his officials will be wicked
The phrase suggests a trickle-down effect of corruption. When a leader is swayed by deceit, it creates an environment where dishonesty thrives among subordinates. This mirrors the biblical narrative of King Saul, whose disobedience and insecurity led to a corrupt administration (1 Samuel 22:6-19). The term "wicked" in Hebrew often denotes moral and ethical deviation from God's law, emphasizing the spiritual implications of corrupt leadership. This concept is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus warns against the "blind leading the blind" (Matthew 15:14), illustrating the broader impact of ungodly leadership. The phrase serves as a cautionary note on the importance of truth and righteousness in governance, aligning with the biblical call for leaders to be shepherds of integrity (1 Peter 5:2-3).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ruler
In the context of this proverb, a ruler refers to any person in a position of authority or leadership. This could be a king, a government official, or even a leader in a church or organization.

2. Officials
These are the subordinates or advisors who serve under the ruler. Their behavior and integrity are influenced by the ruler's actions and decisions.

3. Lies
This refers to falsehoods, deceit, or misinformation. The acceptance of lies by a ruler can lead to corruption and moral decay within the leadership structure.
Teaching Points
The Influence of Leadership
A leader's acceptance of lies sets a precedent for those under their authority. Leaders must prioritize truth to foster integrity within their ranks.

The Ripple Effect of Deceit
When a ruler listens to lies, it not only corrupts the leader but also permeates through the entire administration, leading to widespread wickedness.

The Responsibility of Discernment
Leaders must exercise discernment and seek wisdom to differentiate between truth and falsehood, ensuring their decisions are just and righteous.

The Call for Accountability
Both leaders and their officials are accountable to God for their actions. Upholding truth is essential for maintaining divine favor and justice.

The Role of Advisors
Advisors and officials should be chosen based on their integrity and commitment to truth, as they play a crucial role in guiding the ruler's decisions.(12) If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.--If a ruler shows that he likes adulation and falsehood rather than unpleasant truths, his attendants will provide him with what he wishes. (Comp. Ecclesiasticus 10:2.) So Jeremiah complains (Jeremiah 5:31) that prophets, priests, and people were all wilfully deceiving each other.

Verse 12. - All his servants are wicked. The ruler is willing to be deceived, and does not care to hear the truth, so his servants flatter and lie to him, and the whole atmosphere is charged with unreality and deceit. Qualis rex, talis grex. Ecclus. 10:2, "As the judge of the people is himself, so are his officers; and what manner of man the ruler of the city is, such are all that dwell therein." Claudian, 'IV. Cons. Hon.,' 299 -

"Componitur orbis
Regis ad exemplum: nec sic inflectere sensus
Humanos edicta valent, ut vita regentis.
Mobile mutatur semper cum principe vulgus."

"By the king's precedent
The world is ordered; and men's minds are moved
Less by stern edicts than their ruler's life.
The fickle crowd aye by the prince is swayed."
Cicero, 'De Leg.,' 3:13, "Ut enim cupiditatibus principum et vitiis iufici solet tota civitas, sic emendari et corrigi continentia." And ibid., 14, "Quo perniciosius de republica merentur vitiosi principes, quod non solum vitia concipiunt ipsi, sod ea infundunt in civitatem; neque solum obsunt, ipsi quod corrumpuntur, sed etiam quod corrumpunt, plusque exemplo, quam peccato, nocent."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If a ruler
מֹ֭שֵׁל (mō·šêl)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign

listens
מַקְשִׁ֣יב (maq·šîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

lies,
דְּבַר־ (də·ḇar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

all
כָּֽל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his officials
מְשָׁרְתָ֥יו (mə·šā·rə·ṯāw)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

will be wicked.
רְשָׁעִֽים׃ (rə·šā·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7563: Wrong, an, bad person


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler listens to lies all (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 29:11
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