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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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 is pursuing them,#Lv 26:17; Ps 53:5
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.#Eph 6:19–20
2When a land is in rebellion, it has many rulers,#1Kg 16:8–28; 2Kg 15:8–15
but with a discerning and knowledgeable person, it endures.
3A destitute leader#28:3 LXX reads A wicked man who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no food.#Ex 9:25
4Those who reject the law praise the wicked,#Rm 1:32
but those who keep the law pit themselves against them.#1Kg 18:18; Neh 13:11,15; Mt 3:7; 14:4; Eph 5:11
5The evil do not understand justice,#Ps 92:6
but those who seek the Lord understand everything.#Ps 119:100; Jn 7:17; 1Co 2:15; Jms 1:5; 1Jn 2:20,27
6Better the poor person who lives with integrity#Pr 19:1; 20:7
than the rich one who distorts right and wrong.#28:6 Lit who twists two ways#Pr 16:8,19; 19:22; Is 5:20
7A discerning son keeps the law,
but a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.#Dt 21:20; Pr 17:25; 23:20; 29:3
8Whoever increases his wealth through excessive interest#Ex 22:25; Lv 25:36
collects it for one who is kind to the poor.#Jb 27:17; Pr 13:22; Ec 2:26; Ezk 18:13,17
9Anyone who turns his ear away from hearing the law —
even his prayer is detestable.#Ps 109:7; Pr 15:8,29; 21:27
10The one who leads the upright into an evil way
will fall into his own pit,#Ps 7:15; Pr 16:29; 26:27; Mt 18:6
but the blameless will inherit what is good.#Mt 5:6
11A rich person is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor one who has discernment sees through him.
12When the righteous triumph,
there is great rejoicing,#28:12 Lit glory
but when the wicked come to power,
people hide.#Pr 11:10; 28:28; 29:2; Ec 10:5–6
13The one who conceals his sins
will not prosper,#Jb 31:33; Ps 32:3
but whoever confesses and renounces them
will find mercy.#Ps 32:5; Jms 5:16; 1Jn 1:9
14Happy is the one who is always reverent,#2Ch 19:7; Pr 23:17
but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.#Ps 95:8
15A wicked ruler over a helpless people#Ex 1:14; Pr 29:2; Mt 2:16
is like a roaring lion or a charging bear.#Pr 19:12; 1Pt 5:8
16A leader who lacks understanding
is very oppressive,
but one who hates dishonest profit
prolongs his life.#1Kg 12:1–19; Ps 15:5; Pr 15:27
17Someone burdened by bloodguilt#28:17 Lit the blood of a person
will be a fugitive until death.#Gn 4:14; 9:6; Ex 21:14
Let no one help him.#Nm 35:31
18The one who lives with integrity will be helped,
but one who distorts right and wrong#28:18 Lit who is twisted regarding two ways
will suddenly fall.#Pr 2:7; 10:9; 20:7
19The one who works his land
will have plenty of food,#Pr 24:27
but whoever chases fantasies
will have his fill of poverty.#Pr 1:31; 12:11,14; 14:14
20A faithful person will have many blessings,#Pr 10:6; Mt 25:21
but one in a hurry to get rich#Pr 20:21; 28:22; 1Tm 6:9
will not go unpunished.
21It is not good to show partiality#Pr 18:5; 24:23 —
yet even a courageous person may sin for a piece of bread.#Ezk 13:19
22A greedy one#28:22 Lit A man with an evil eye is in a hurry for wealth;
he doesn’t know that poverty will come to him.#Pr 13:11; 20:21; 21:5; 22:16
23One who rebukes a person will later find more favor#Pr 27:5–6
than one who flatters with his tongue.#Pr 26:28; 29:5
24The one who robs his father or mother#Pr 19:26
and says, “That’s no sin,”#Pr 30:20; Mk 7:11
is a companion to a person who destroys.#Pr 18:9
25A greedy person stirs up conflict,#Pr 15:18
but whoever trusts in the Lord will prosper.#Ps 37:3–5; Pr 3:5–6; Jr 17:7–8
26The one who trusts in himself#28:26 Lit his heart is a fool,
but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.#Pr 3:5–7
27The one who gives to the poor
will not be in need,
but one who turns his eyes away#28:27 Lit who shuts his eyes
will receive many curses.#Pr 11:24; 19:17; 22:16
28When the wicked come to power,
people hide,
but when they are destroyed,
the righteous flourish.#Pr 28:12; 29:2
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