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
1Evil people run even though no one is chasing them,
but good people are as brave as a lion.
2When a country is lawless, it has one ruler after another;
but when it is led by a leader with understanding and knowledge, it continues strong.
3Rulers who mistreat the poor
are like a hard rain that destroys the crops.
4Those who disobey what they have been taught praise the wicked,
but those who obey what they have been taught are against them.
5Evil people do not understand justice,
but those who follow the Lord understand it completely.
6It is better to be poor and innocent
than to be rich and wicked.
7Children who obey what they have been taught are wise,
but friends of troublemakers disgrace their parents.
8Some people get rich by overcharging others,
but their wealth will be given to those who are kind to the poor.
9If you refuse to obey what you have been taught,
your prayers will not be heard.
10Those who lead good people to do wrong
will be ruined by their own evil,
but the innocent will be rewarded with good things.
11Rich people may think they are wise,
but the poor with understanding will prove them wrong.
12When good people triumph, there is great happiness,
but when the wicked get control, everybody hides.
13If you hide your sins, you will not succeed.
If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.
14Those who are always respectful will be happy,
but those who are stubborn will get into trouble.
15A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people
as a roaring lion or a charging bear.
16A ruler without wisdom will be cruel,
but the one who refuses to take dishonest money will rule a long time.
17Don’t help those who are guilty of murder;
let them run until they die.
18Innocent people will be kept safe,
but those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined.
19Those who work their land will have plenty of food,
but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor.
20A truthful person will have many blessings,
but those eager to get rich will be punished.
21It is not good for a judge to take sides,
but some will sin for only a piece of bread.
22Selfish people are in a hurry to get rich
and do not realize they soon will be poor.
23Those who correct others will later be liked
more than those who give false praise.
24Whoever robs father or mother
and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is just like someone who destroys things.
25A greedy person causes trouble,
but the one who trusts the Lord will succeed.
26Those who trust in themselves are foolish,
but those who live wisely will be kept safe.
27Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he needs,
but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses.
28When the wicked get control, everybody hides,
but when they die, good people do well.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.