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 run away even though no one pursues them,
but the righteous are as confident as a lion.
2When a land rebels, there are many leaders;
but a person with understanding brings order.
3Poor people who oppress the needy
are rain that washes away food.
4Those who abandon Instruction praise the wicked,
but those who follow Instruction battle them.
5Evil people don’t understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD understand everything.
6Better to be poor and walk in innocence
than to be on crooked paths and wealthy.
7Intelligent children follow Instruction,
but those who befriend gluttons shame their parents.
8Those who become rich through high interest rates
gather money for those who are generous to the poor.
9Those who turn their ears from hearing Instruction—
even their prayers will be detested.
10Whoever misleads those who do right onto an evil path
will fall into their own pit,
but the blameless will inherit good things.
11Rich people think they are wise,
but an insightful poor person sees through them.
12When the righteous rejoice, there is great respect,
but people hide when the wicked prosper.
13Those who hide their sins won’t succeed,
but those who confess and give them up will receive mercy.
14Happy are those who are continually fearful,
but those whose hearts are hard fall into trouble.
15A wicked ruler over the poor
is like a growling lion or a prowling bear.
16A prince without understanding is a cruel oppressor,
but one who hates unjust gain will live long.
17If someone feels guilty about murder,
don’t hold them back from fleeing to the pit.
18Those who walk in innocence will be saved,
but those who go on twisted paths will fall into the grave.
19Those who work the land will have plenty to eat,
but those with worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
20Reliable people will have abundant blessings,
but those with get-rich-quick schemes won’t go unpunished.
21Those who show favoritism aren’t good;
people do wrong for a crust of bread.
22The stingy try to get rich fast,
unaware that loss will come to them.
23Those who correct someone will, in the end, find more favor
than those with flattering tongues.
24Those who steal from their father and mother,
and say, “It’s not a crime,”
are friends of vandals.
25Greedy people stir up conflict,
but those who trust the LORD become prosperous.
26Those who trust in their own reasoning are fools,
but those who walk in wisdom will be kept safe.
27Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
but those who turn a blind eye will be greatly cursed.
28When the wicked rise up, people hide,
but when they are destroyed, the righteous multiply.
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.