Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 29:24

ESV The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
NIV The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify.
NASB One who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing.
CSB To be a thief's partner is to hate oneself; he hears the curse but will not testify.
NLT If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself. You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.
KJV Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

What does Proverbs 29:24 mean?

Scripture often uses terms translated "love" and "hate" which carry different meanings in the modern world. In the Bible, these terms have less to do with emotion than with action, especially in comparison to each other (Genesis 29:31; Matthew 6:24; Luke 14:26; John 12:25). A person who "hates himself," in these contexts, doesn't necessarily feel self-loathing. Rather, the point is that their actions are self-damaging (Proverbs 8:36; 13:24).

This verse issues a warning to anyone who is an accomplice in a crime, specifically thievery. Helping a lawbreaker means being partly responsible for the criminal act. If someone is brought into court, and charged with abetting a criminal, they are in deep trouble. The partner to a thief, then, is his own enemy. His cooperation with an immoral person puts his own life and well-being in jeopardy.

"The curse" noted here seems to mean the Old Testament law's condemnation of criminals and those who withhold knowledge about crimes (Leviticus 5:1).
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