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
1A wicked person flees when no one is chasing him,
but righteous people are as bold as lions.
2When a country is in revolt, it has many rulers,
but only with a person who has understanding and knowledge
will it last a long time.
3A poor person who oppresses poorer people
is like a driving rain that leaves no food.
4Those who abandon ⌞God’s⌟ teachings praise wicked people,
but those who follow ⌞God’s⌟ teachings oppose wicked people.
5Evil people do not understand justice,
but those who seek the Lord understand everything.
6Better to be a poor person who has integrity
than to be rich and double-dealing.
7Whoever follows ⌞God’s⌟ teachings is a wise son.
Whoever associates with gluttons disgraces his father.
8Whoever becomes wealthy through ⌞unfair⌟ loans and interest
collects them for the one who is kind to the poor.
9Surely the prayer of someone who refuses
to listen to ⌞God’s⌟ teachings is disgusting.
10Whoever leads decent people into evil will fall into his own pit,
but innocent people will inherit good things.
11A rich person is wise in his own eyes,
but a poor person with understanding sees right through him.
12When righteous people triumph, there is great glory,
but when wicked people rise, people hide themselves.
13Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper.
Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.
14Blessed is the one who is always fearful ⌞of sin⌟,
but whoever is hard-hearted falls into disaster.
15 ⌞Like⌟ a roaring lion and a charging bear,
⌞so⌟ a wicked ruler is a threat to poor people.
16A leader without understanding taxes ⌞his people⌟ heavily,
but those who hate unjust gain will live longer.
17A person burdened with the guilt of murder
will be a fugitive down to his grave.
No one will help him.
18Whoever lives honestly will be safe.
Whoever lives dishonestly will fall all at once.
19Whoever works his land will have plenty to eat.
Whoever chases unrealistic dreams will have plenty of nothing.
20A trustworthy person has many blessings,
but anyone in a hurry to get rich will not escape punishment.
21Showing partiality is not good,
because some people will turn on you even for a piece of bread.
22A stingy person is in a hurry to get rich,
not realizing that poverty is about to overtake him.
23Whoever criticizes people will be more highly regarded in the future
than the one who flatters with his tongue.
24The one who robs his father or his mother
and says, “It isn’t wrong!” is a companion to a vandal.
25A greedy person stirs up a fight,
but whoever trusts the Lord prospers.
26Whoever trusts his own heart is a fool.
Whoever walks in wisdom will survive.
27Whoever gives to the poor lacks nothing.
Whoever ignores the poor receives many curses.
28When wicked people rise, people hide.
When they die, righteous people increase.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.