Proverbs 28:15-28Share

Proverbs 28:15-28 King James Version (KJV)

As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; So is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person Shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. To have respect of persons is not good: For for a piece of bread that man will transgress. He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, And considereth not that poverty shall come upon him. He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour Than he that flattereth with the tongue. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; The same is the companion of a destroyer. He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: But he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 28:15-28 The Message (MSG)

Lions roar and bears charge— and the wicked lord it over the poor. Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright. A murderer haunted by guilt is doomed—there’s no helping him. Walk straight—live well and be saved; a devious life is a doomed life. Work your garden—you’ll end up with plenty of food; play and party—you’ll end up with an empty plate. Committed and persistent work pays off; get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs. Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways. A miser in a hurry to get rich doesn’t know that he’ll end up broke. In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than bootlicking flattery. Anyone who robs father and mother and says, “So, what’s wrong with that?” is worse than a pirate. A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in GOD brings a sense of well-being. If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others. Be generous to the poor—you’ll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses. When corruption takes over, good people go underground, but when the crooks are thrown out, it’s safe to come out.

Proverbs 28:15-28 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)

Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, But he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. A man who is laden with the guilt of human blood Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him. He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. A man with an evil eye hastens after wealth And does not know that want will come upon him. He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. He who robs his father or his mother And says, “It is not a transgression,” Is the companion of a man who destroys. An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered. He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 28:15-28 New Century Version (NCV)

A wicked ruler is as dangerous to poor people as a roaring lion or a charging bear. A ruler without wisdom will be cruel, but the one who refuses to take dishonest money will rule a long time. Don’t help those who are guilty of murder; let them run until they die. Innocent people will be kept safe, but those who are dishonest will suddenly be ruined. Those who work their land will have plenty of food, but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor. A truthful person will have many blessings, but those eager to get rich will be punished. It is not good for a judge to take sides, but some will sin for only a piece of bread. Selfish people are in a hurry to get rich and do not realize they soon will be poor. Those who correct others will later be liked more than those who give false praise. Whoever robs father or mother and says, “It’s not wrong,” is just like someone who destroys things. A greedy person causes trouble, but the one who trusts the LORD will succeed. Those who trust in themselves are foolish, but those who live wisely will be kept safe. Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he needs, but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses. When the wicked get control, everybody hides, but when they die, good people do well.

Proverbs 28:15-28 American Standard Version (ASV)

As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, So is a wicked ruler over a poor people. The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor; But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. A man that is laden with the blood of any person Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished. To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread. He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, And knoweth not that want shall come upon him. He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor Than he that flattereth with the tongue. Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression, The same is the companion of a destroyer. He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife; But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool; But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 28:15-28 New International Version (Anglicised) (NIVUK)

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. A tyrannical ruler practises extortion, but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign. Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder will seek refuge in the grave; let no-one hold them back. The one whose way of life is blameless is kept safe, but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit. Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. A faithful person will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good – yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread. The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them. Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favour rather than one who has a flattering tongue. Whoever robs their father or mother and says, ‘It’s not wrong,’ is partner to one who destroys. The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the LORD will prosper. Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe. Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses. When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Proverbs 28:15-28 New King James Version (NKJV)

Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over poor people. A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days. A man burdened with bloodshed will flee into a pit; Let no one help him. Whoever walks blamelessly will be saved, But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall. He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him. He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue. Whoever robs his father or his mother, And says, “It is no transgression,” The same is companion to a destroyer. He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses. When the wicked arise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

Proverbs 28:15-28 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Like a roaring lion and a charging bear Is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding and common sense [and his wickedness shortens his days], But he who hates unjust gain will [be blessed and] prolong his days. A man who is burdened with the guilt of human blood (murder) Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him or give him refuge. He who walks blamelessly and uprightly will be kept safe, But he who is crooked (perverse) will suddenly fall. He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows worthless people and frivolous pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful (right-minded) man will abound with blessings, But he who hurries to be rich will not go unpunished. [Prov 13:11; 20:21; 23:4; 1 Tim 6:9] To have regard for one person over another and to show favoritism is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. He who has an evil and envious eye hurries to be rich And does not know that poverty will come upon him. [Prov 21:5; 28:20] He who [appropriately] reprimands a [wise] man will afterward find more favor Than he who flatters with the tongue. He who robs his father or his mother And says, “This is no sin,” Is [not only a thief but also] the companion of a man who destroys. An arrogant and greedy man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be blessed and prosper. He who trusts confidently in his own heart is a [dull, thickheaded] fool, But he who walks in [skillful and godly] wisdom will be rescued. [James 1:5] He who gives to the poor will never want, But he who shuts his eyes [from their need] will have many curses. [Deut 15:7; Prov 19:17; 22:9] When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; But when the wicked perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become great. [Prov 28:12]

Proverbs 28:15-28 New Living Translation (NLT)

A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a roaring lion or an attacking bear. A ruler with no understanding will oppress his people, but one who hates corruption will have a long life. A murderer’s tormented conscience will drive him into the grave. Don’t protect him! The blameless will be rescued from harm, but the crooked will be suddenly destroyed. A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty. The trustworthy person will get a rich reward, but a person who wants quick riches will get into trouble. Showing partiality is never good, yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread. Greedy people try to get rich quick but don’t realize they’re headed for poverty. In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery. Anyone who steals from his father and mother and says, “What’s wrong with that?” is no better than a murderer. Greed causes fighting; trusting the LORD leads to prosperity. Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe. Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding. When the wicked meet disaster, the godly flourish.

Proverbs 28:15-28 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Ruthless rulers can only be compared to raging lions and roaming bears. Abusive leaders fail to employ wisdom, but leaders who despise corruption will enjoy a long and full life. A murderer’s conscience will torment him— a fugitive haunted by guilt all the way to the grave with no one to support him. The pure will be rescued from failure, but the perverse will suddenly fall into ruin. Work hard and you’ll have all you desire, but chase a fantasy and you could end up with nothing. Life’s blessings drench the honest and faithful person, but punishment rains down upon the greedy and dishonest. Giving favoritism to the rich and powerful is disgusting, and this is done by the type of judge who would betray a man for a bribe. A greedy man is in a race to get rich, but he forgets that he could lose what’s most important and end up with nothing. If you correct someone with constructive criticism, in the end he will appreciate it more than flattery. A person who would reject his own parents and say, “What’s wrong with that?” is as bad as a murderer. To make rash, hasty decisions shows that you are not trusting the Lord. But when you rely totally on God, you will still act carefully and prudently. Self-confident know-it-alls will prove to be fools. But when you lean on the wisdom from above, you will have a way to escape the troubles of your own making. You will never go without if you give to the poor. But if you’re heartless, stingy, and selfish, you invite curses upon yourself. When wicked leaders rise to power, good people go into hiding. But when they fall from power, the godly take their place.

Proverbs 28:15-28 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. If one is burdened with the blood of another, he will be a fugitive until death; let no one help him. Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall. Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue. Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “That is no transgression,” is a companion to a man who destroys. A greedy man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched. Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. When the wicked rise, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.