Proverbs 28
28
If You Desert God’s Law
1The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off
even when no one’s after them;
Honest people are relaxed and confident,
bold as lions.
2When the country is in chaos,
everybody has a plan to fix it—
But it takes a leader of real understanding
to straighten things out.
3The wicked who oppress the poor
are like a hailstorm that beats down the harvest.
4If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity;
if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail.
5Justice makes no sense to the evilminded;
those who seek God know it inside and out.
6It’s better to be poor and direct
than rich and crooked.
7Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom;
hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family.
8Get as rich as you want
through cheating and extortion,
But eventually some friend of the poor
is going to give it all back to them.
9God has no use for the prayers
of the people who won’t listen to him.
10Lead good people down a wrong path
and you’ll come to a bad end;
do good and you’ll be rewarded for it.
11The rich think they know it all,
but the poor can see right through them.
12When good people are promoted, everything is great,
but when the bad are in charge, watch out!
13You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it;
you find mercy by admitting and leaving them.
14A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life;
a hardhearted person lives a hard life.
15Lions roar and bears charge—
and the wicked lord it over the poor.
16Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds,
but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright.
17A murderer haunted by guilt
is doomed—there’s no helping him.
18Walk straight—live well and be saved;
a devious life is a doomed life.
Doing Great Harm in Seemingly Harmless Ways
19Work your garden—you’ll end up with plenty of food;
play and party—you’ll end up with an empty plate.
20Committed and persistent work pays off;
get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs.
21Playing favorites is always a bad thing;
you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways.
22A miser in a hurry to get rich
doesn’t know that he’ll end up broke.
23In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated
far more than bootlicking flattery.
24Anyone who robs father and mother
and says, “So, what’s wrong with that?”
is worse than a pirate.
25A grasping person stirs up trouble,
but trust in God brings a sense of well-being.
26If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure;
real survivors learn wisdom from others.
27Be generous to the poor—you’ll never go hungry;
shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses.
28When corruption takes over, good people go underground,
but when the crooks are thrown out, it’s safe to come out.
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Proverbs 28: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Proverbs 28
28
1The wicked flee when no one pursues;
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2In rebellion, a land has many rulers,
but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
3A needy man who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.
4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked;
but those who keep the law contend with them.
5Evil men don’t understand justice;
but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
7Whoever keeps the law is a wise son;
but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8He who increases his wealth by excessive interest
gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
9He who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer is an abomination.
10Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way,
he will fall into his own trap;
but the blameless will inherit good.
11The rich man is wise in his own eyes;
but the poor who has understanding sees through him.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;
but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
13He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14Blessed is the man who always fears;
but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
15As a roaring lion or a charging bear,
so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
16A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment.
One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.
17A man who is tormented by blood guilt will be a fugitive until death.
No one will support him.
18Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe;
but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.
19One who works his land will have an abundance of food;
but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
20A faithful man is rich with blessings;
but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is not good,
yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22A stingy man hurries after riches,
and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
23One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor
than one who flatters with the tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is a partner with a destroyer.
25One who is greedy stirs up strife;
but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
26One who trusts in himself is a fool;
but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
27One who gives to the poor has no lack;
but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.
28When the wicked rise, men hide themselves;
but when they perish, the righteous thrive.
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