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
Confidence, Discernment, Integrity
1The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2When a country is in rebellion, it has many rulers, but a man of discernment and knowledge maintains order.
3A poor man who oppresses the weak is like pounding rain without food.
4Those who forsake Torah praise the wicked, but those who keep Torah stir them up.
5Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek Adonai understand it fully.
6Better the poor who walks in his integrity than the rich whose ways are crooked.
7He who keeps Torah is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
8Whoever increases his wealth by exorbitant interest, gathers it for one kinder to the poor.
9One who turns his ear from hearing Torah —even his prayer is an abomination.
10One who leads the upright astray along an evil path will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit good.
11A rich person is wise in his own eyes, but a discerning poor person sees through him.
12When the righteous triumph there is great glory, but when the wicked rise to power, people hide.
13One who covers up his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them finds mercy.
14Blessed is one who is always cautious, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into trouble.
15Like a roaring lion or a prowling bear is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
16An oppressive leader lacks judgment. One who hates unjust gain will prolong his life.
17A man tormented by the guilt of murder flees to the Pit—let no one support him.
18Whoever walks blamelessly will be safe, but whoever is perverse in his ways will fall suddenly.
Wisdom About Finances
19Whoever works his land will be satisfied with food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
20A faithful man will have many blessings, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is not good— yet for a piece of bread a man may do wrong.
22A stingy man chases after riches, but does not know that poverty will overtake him.
23One who rebukes a man will in the end find more favor than one with a flattering tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not a crime,” is a partner to him who destroys.
25A greedy soul stirs up strife, but one who trusts in Adonai prospers.
26Whoever trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will escape.
27One who gives to the poor will not lack, but one who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
28When the wicked rise to power, people hide, but when they perish, the righteous increase.
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