Proverbs 28
28
1The #Lev. 26:17, 36; Ps. 53:5wicked flee when no one pursues,
But the righteous are bold as a lion.
2Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged.
3#Matt. 18:28A poor man who oppresses the poor
Is like a driving rain which leaves no food.
4#Ps. 49:18; Rom. 1:32Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
#1 Kin. 18:18; Neh. 13:11, 15; Matt. 3:7; 14:4; Eph. 5:11But such as keep the law contend with them.
5#Ps. 92:6; Is. 6:9; 44:18Evil men do not understand justice,
But #Ps. 119:100; Prov. 2:9; John 17:17; 1 Cor. 2:15; (1 John 2:20, 27)those who seek the Lord understand all.
6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
7Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son,
But a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion
Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.
9One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
#Ps. 66:18; 109:7; Prov. 15:8Even his prayer is an abomination.
10#Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
He himself will fall into his own pit;
#(Matt. 6:33; Heb. 6:12; 1 Pet. 3:9)But the blameless will inherit good.
11The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding searches him out.
12When the righteous rejoice, there is great #Prov. 11:10; 29:2glory;
But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves.
13#Ps. 32:3–5; 1 John 1:8–10He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
14Happy is the man who is always reverent,
But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.
15#Prov. 19:12; 1 Pet. 5:8Like a roaring lion and a charging bear
#Ex. 1:14; Prov. 29:2; Matt. 2:16Is a wicked ruler over poor people.
16A ruler who lacks understanding is a great #Eccl. 10:16; Is. 3:12oppressor,
But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days.
17#Gen. 9:6A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit;
Let no one help him.
18Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved,
But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall.
19#Prov. 12:11; 20:13He who tills his land will have plenty of bread,
But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!
20A faithful man will abound with blessings,
#Prov. 13:11; 20:21; 23:4; 1 Tim. 6:9But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.
21#Prov. 18:5To show partiality is not good,
#Ezek. 13:19Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
22A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that #Prov. 21:5poverty will come upon him.
23#Prov. 27:5, 6He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward
Than he who flatters with the tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother,
And says, “It is no transgression,”
The same #Prov. 18:9is companion to a destroyer.
25#Prov. 13:10He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
#Prov. 29:25; 1 Tim. 6:6But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.
26He who #Prov. 3:5trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.
27#Deut. 15:7; Prov. 19:17; 22:9He who gives to the poor will not lack,
But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.
28When the wicked arise, #Job 24:4men hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.
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Proverbs 28: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 28
28
1The wicked flee though none pursue;
but the just, like a lion, are confident.
2If a land is rebellious, its princes will be many;
but with an intelligent and wise ruler there is stability.#The first line expresses the paradox that rebellion, far from doing away with rulers, actually multiplies them. The second line is corrupt.
3One who is poor and extorts from the lowly
is a devastating rain that leaves no food.#The reference may be to tax farmers who collected taxes and took a commission. The collectors’ lack of wealth was the cause of their oppression of poor farmers. They are like a rain too violent to allow crops to grow.
4Those who abandon instruction#Instruction: torah; the word is used both for the teaching of the wise and the law of Moses. praise the wicked,
but those who keep instruction oppose them.
5The evil understand nothing of justice,#Understanding nothing of justice plays on the twofold sense of justice as righteousness and as punishment that comes on the wicked. On the other hand, those who seek the Lord understand everything, i.e., that the Lord punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous (themselves).
but those who seek the Lord understand everything.
6Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than rich and crooked in one’s ways.#Prv 19:1.
7Whoever heeds instruction is a wise son,
but whoever joins with wastrels disgraces his father.
8Whoever amasses wealth by interest and overcharge#Interest and overcharge were strictly forbidden in the old law among Israelites because it was presumed that the borrower was in distress; cf. Ex 22:25; Lv 25:35–37; Dt 23:20; Ps 15:5; Ez 18:8. Divine providence will take the offender’s wealth; cf. Eccl 2:26.
gathers it for the one who is kind to the poor.
9Those who turn their ears from hearing instruction,#Prv 15:8; 21:27.
even their prayer is an abomination.
10Those who mislead the upright into an evil way
will themselves fall into their own pit,
but the blameless will attain prosperity.
11The rich are wise in their own eyes,
but the poor who are intelligent see through them.
12When the just triumph, there is great glory;
but when the wicked prevail, people hide.#People react in opposite ways to the triumph of good and evil. To the triumph of good, they react by public display, public celebration, and to the triumph of evil, by hiding.
13Those who conceal their sins do not prosper,
but those who confess and forsake them obtain mercy.#Concealing the faults of another is a good thing in Proverbs (17:9), but concealing one’s own sins is not. Ps 32:1–5 expresses the anguish caused by concealing one’s sins rather than bringing them to light so they can be healed by God.
14Happy those who always fear;#Fear is a different verb than in the phrase “to fear (or revere) the Lord.” In its only other biblical occurrence (Is 51:13), the verb means to dread an oppressor. The saying states a paradox: those who fear in the sense of being cautious are declared happy, whereas those who are fearless will fall into traps they did not “fear.” In short, there is good fear and bad fear.
but those who harden their hearts fall into evil.
15A roaring lion or a ravenous bear
is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16The less prudent the rulers, the more oppressive their deeds.
Those who hate ill-gotten gain prolong their days.
17Though a person burdened with blood guilt is in flight even to the grave,
let no one offer support.
18Whoever walks blamelessly is safe,
but one whose ways are crooked falls into a pit.
19Those who cultivate their land will have plenty of food,
but those who engage in idle pursuits will have plenty of want.#Prv 12:11.
20The trustworthy will be richly blessed;
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.#Prv 13:11.
21To show partiality is never good:#Prv 24:23.
for even a morsel of bread one may do wrong.#Cf. 24:23. Verse 21b warns that even in a light matter one must remain impartial.
22Misers hurry toward wealth,
not knowing that want is coming toward them.#“Bad of eye” is the Hebrew idiom for miserly. Misers fail to see that poverty is hurrying toward them because of their wrong attitude toward wealth. Because misers are “bad of eye,” they do not see the danger.
23Whoever rebukes another wins more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.
24Whoever defrauds father or mother and says, “It is no sin,”#Mk 7:11–13.
is a partner to a brigand.
25The greedy person stirs up strife,
but the one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
26Those who trust in themselves are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom are safe.
27Those who give to the poor have no lack,#Prv 19:17; Sir 4:3–8.
but those who avert their eyes, many curses.
28When the wicked prevail, people hide;
but at their fall the just abound.#Prv 28:12.
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