Proverbs — Chapter 28
A wicked person flees though no one gives chase,But the righteous are as confident as a lion.
When there is rebellion in the land, many are its rulers;But with someone who hasasomeone who has Referring to the ruler. Or “people who have,” referring to the populace. understanding and knowledge, stability will last.bBut with someone … will last Meaning of Heb. uncertain.
A poor man who withholds what is due to the wretchedIs like a destructive rain that leaves no food.
Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,But those who heed instruction fight them.
The wicked cannot discern judgment,But those who seek GOD discern all things.
Better is a poor man who lives blamelesslyThan a rich man whose ways are crooked.
An intelligent son heeds instruction,But he who keeps company with gluttons disgraces his father.
He who increases his wealth by loans at discount or interestAmasses it for one who is generous to the poor.
He who turns a deaf ear to instruction—His prayer is an abomination.
He who misleads the upright into an evil courseWill fall into his own pit,But the blameless will prosper.
A rich man is clever in his own eyes,But a perceptive pauper can see through him.
When the righteous exult there is great glory,But when the wicked rise up, everyoneceveryone Lit. “person.” Or “the upright”; cf. Eccl. 7.23. makes themselves scarce.
No one who covers up faults will succeed;One who confesses and gives them up will find mercy.
Happy is the person who is anxious always,But one who is hard-hearted falls into misfortune.
A roaring lion and a prowling bearIs a wicked man ruling a helpless people.
A prince who lacks understanding is very oppressive;One who spurns ill-gotten gains will live long.
Anyone oppressed by bloodguilt will flee to a pit;Let none offer support.
One who lives blamelessly will be delivered,But one whose ways are crooked will fall all at once.
Those who till their land will have food in plenty,But those who pursue vanities will have poverty in plenty.
A dependable man will receive many blessings,But one in a hurry to get rich will not go unpunished.
To be partial is not right;Even one who is valiant may do wrong for a piece of bread.
A miserly man runs after wealth;He does not realize that loss will overtake it.
One who reproves a person will in the endFind more favor than a flatterer.
Anyone who robs their father and mother and says, “It is no offense,”Is the companion todthe companion to Or “tantamount to.” a vandal.
A gaping maw provokes quarrels,But one who trusts GOD shall enjoy prosperity.
Those who trust their own instincts are dullards,But those who live by wisdom shall escape.
Those who give to the poor will not be in want,But those who turn a blind eye will be roundly cursed.
When the wicked rise up, everyoneeeveryone See note at v. 12 above. goes into hiding,But when they perish the righteous increase.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Snp 1.8
“As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred.”
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
Tao Te Ching 76
“A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff. The soft and yielding is the disciple of life.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.”
Bhagavad Gita 2:22
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
The Path to Wisdom
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
Quran 39:9
“Are those who know equal to those who do not know?”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”