Proverbs Chapter 28
Showing all 28 verses for Proverbs Chapter 28.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. "
"The wicked run away even when nobody's chasing them, but the righteous are as confident as a lion."
Live honestly, and you won't need to keep glancing behind you. Integrity itself is a form of fearlessness — it frees you from imagined threats and lets you walk through life with real confidence.
"For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged. "
"When a country is corrupt, it churns through rulers in chaos; but with a wise, knowledgeable leader, stability lasts."
Whatever you lead — a household, a team, or just your own life — build it on real understanding, not ego or short-term wins. That's what makes something stable enough to last.
"A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food. "
"A poor person who exploits other poor people is like a heavy rainstorm that wipes out the crops instead of feeding them."
Don't let your own hardship become an excuse to exploit someone else who's struggling too. Treat people with less than you the way you'd want to be treated if the roles were reversed.
"They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. "
"People who abandon what's right end up praising the wicked, while those who hold to what's right stand against them."
Hold firmly to what you know is right, because a wavering moral compass makes it dangerously easy to start admiring or excusing the wrong things, especially in people you like.
"Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things. "
"Wicked people don't understand what's fair and right, but people who genuinely seek what's true understand it fully."
Keep genuinely searching for what's true and good, not just for what benefits you. That honest search is what sharpens your ability to tell right from wrong when it actually matters.
"Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich. "
"It's better to be poor and honest than rich and crooked."
Don't measure your own worth, or anyone else's, by their bank balance. A clean conscience is worth infinitely more than any amount of dishonestly gained comfort.
"Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. "
"A son who follows what's right is wise; one who runs with wild, reckless people brings shame on his father."
Choose your friends thoughtfully, because who you spend your time with quietly shapes who you become. Think about the person you actually want to be, not just who's fun to be around right now.
"He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. "
"Whoever grows rich through exploitative interest and unfair profit is really just stockpiling wealth for someone else who will use it to help the poor."
Build what you have honestly. Wealth gained by exploiting others has no real staying power, but what's built with integrity actually lasts and means something.
"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. "
"If someone refuses to listen to what's right, even their prayers become offensive."
Don't treat prayer or spiritual practice as separate from how you treat people. Real connection with what's beyond you shows up in daily life, not just in words spoken in a quiet moment.
"Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. "
"Whoever leads a good person into wrongdoing will fall into their own trap, but honest people end up with good things."
Be very careful about nudging someone else towards wrongdoing, even subtly or jokingly. You're setting a trap that has a habit of catching the one who set it too.
"The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. "
"A rich man thinks he's wise just because he's rich, but a poor person with real understanding can see straight through him."
Don't confuse having money with being wise, and don't assume someone with less than you has less insight. Real understanding has nothing to do with your bank balance.
"When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. "
"When good people are thriving, there's great celebration, but when the wicked take power, people go into hiding."
The character of anyone with power or influence shapes how safe people around them feel. Use whatever influence you have — big or small — to make people feel safer, never smaller.
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. "
"Hiding your wrongdoing won't work out well for you, but admitting it and turning away from it brings mercy."
I will never turn away someone who honestly admits where they've gone wrong. Hiding your mistakes traps you in them, but bringing them into the light and actually changing course sets you free.
"Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. "
"Happy is the person who stays humble and cautious; whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble."
Stay soft-hearted and teachable rather than letting pride or stubbornness harden you over time. That openness to correction is exactly what keeps you safe from your own worst mistakes.
"As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. "
"A wicked ruler over poor, powerless people is as dangerous as a roaring lion or a prowling bear."
If you have any authority over people who are vulnerable — at work, at home, anywhere — use it to protect them, never to prey on them. That's the true measure of real leadership.
"The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. "
"A ruler who lacks understanding ends up oppressing people, but someone who rejects greed will live a long, good life."
Reject the pull of greed in your own life and any leadership you hold, whatever scale that's on. That single, ongoing choice does more for your long-term wellbeing than almost anything else you could do.
"A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. "
"Someone guilty of murder will run towards their own downfall — don't try to stop them."
Real justice matters. Protecting someone from the consequences of serious harm they've caused isn't love — it's enabling. Consequences, faced honestly, are often part of how genuine change happens.
"Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. "
"Whoever lives honestly will be kept safe; whoever lives crookedly will suddenly collapse."
Integrity isn't flashy or exciting, but it's what actually holds up under real pressure. Build your life on it rather than on shortcuts that look clever in the moment.
"He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. "
"Someone who works their land will have plenty of food, but someone who chases empty pursuits will have plenty of poverty."
Notice what you're actually spending your time and energy on. Effort poured into what genuinely matters produces real fruit, while chasing distractions leaves you with nothing to show for it.
"A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. "
"A trustworthy person will be richly blessed, but someone in a rush to get rich won't stay honest."
Be suspicious of any shortcut promising fast wealth — it usually costs you something in integrity that's worth far more than the money. Faithfulness, sustained over years, is the real prize.
"To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. "
"Playing favourites is wrong — some people will do wrong for something as small as a piece of bread."
Treat everyone with the same fairness regardless of what they can do for you. Don't let even small incentives, however minor they seem, bend your judgement about what's right.
"He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. "
"Someone desperate to get rich fast has a greedy, envious streak, and doesn't realise poverty could be heading straight for them."
Greedy urgency clouds your judgement more than you realise. Slow down and think honestly about the risks before chasing a quick financial win — the rush itself is often the warning sign.
"He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue. "
"Someone who honestly corrects another person will, in the end, be appreciated more than someone who just flatters them."
Don't be afraid to be honest with people you care about, even when it's uncomfortable right now. Genuine honesty earns a kind of trust that flattery could never buy.
"Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer. "
"Someone who steals from their own parents and says "that's not really wrong" is no better than a vandal or a criminal."
Don't excuse how you treat your own family just because it feels smaller or more private than "real" wrongdoing out in the world. Honesty and honour at home matter every bit as much as they do anywhere else.
"He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putheth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. "
"A proud, arrogant person stirs up conflict, but someone who trusts in God will be well provided for."
Notice how much of the conflict in your life traces back to pride — to needing to be right, or in control, or seen a certain way. Trust more, hold on less, and you'll find far more peace than you expect.
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. "
"Trusting only your own judgement makes you a fool, but living wisely keeps you safe."
Don't assume you always know best. Stay open to counsel, correction, and wisdom that comes from outside your own head — that's where real safety and growth actually come from.
"He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. "
"Whoever gives to the poor will never be in need, but whoever deliberately ignores them will be cursed many times over."
Give generously to those who have less than you — not as a transaction to get something back, but because it's simply who you're meant to be. Real generosity never actually leaves you poorer in the ways that matter.
"When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase. "
"When wicked people gain power, everyone hides; but when the wicked fall, good people flourish."
When injustice seems to be winning, don't lose hope — it never lasts. The people committed to what's right keep rising again and again, even after setbacks.