World English Bible
- The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
- A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.
- Those who forsake the law praise the wicked; but those who keep the law contend with them.
- Evil men don’t understand justice; but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
- Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
- Whoever keeps the law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
- He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
- He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
- Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.
- The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.
- When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
- He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
- As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
- A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.
- A man who is tormented by blood guilt will be a fugitive until death. No one will support him.
- Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.
- One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
- A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
- To show partiality is not good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
- A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
- One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.
- Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, “It’s not wrong,” is a partner with a destroyer.
- One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
- One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
- One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.
- When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.
Proverbs 28 asks a searching question: Who is hiding—and why?
The chapter opens with the wicked fleeing from an imaginary pursuer. Later, when wicked rulers rise, ordinary people hide themselves (verses 12, 28). Guilt invents enemies; tyranny creates real refugees. Private sin and public injustice share the same architecture: both fill the world with fear and concealment.
These sayings belong to the collection copied by King Hezekiah’s scribes (Proverbs 25:1). They are therefore not merely advice for private devotion; they are wisdom for a nation. A ruler’s character enters the streets, markets, farms, and homes of his people. When leaders are corrupt, people disappear—sometimes politically, sometimes economically, sometimes inwardly.
The lion appears twice. The righteous are “as bold as a lion” (verse 1), but a wicked ruler is also like a roaring lion attacking helpless people (verse 15). In the ancient Near East, lions represented royal strength and appeared often in imperial art. Yet Proverbs overturns that symbolism: the ruler may be the beast, while an unknown righteous person possesses true royal courage.
This boldness is not loudness, aggression, or self-confidence. Verse 14 unexpectedly says that the one who “always fears” is blessed. Holy courage and holy fear are not opposites. The person who fears God need not flee from truth; the person who fears exposure must keep running even when no one pursues.
Verse 13 gives the chapter’s turning point: concealed sin prevents flourishing, while confessed and forsaken sin meets mercy. The Hebrew verb translated “confesses,” yadah, can also carry the sense of acknowledging, praising, or giving thanks. Confession is more than describing our feelings. It is stepping into God’s light and agreeing with His verdict.
Sin hidden becomes a private ruler. Sin confessed loses the protection of secrecy.
This does not mean exposing ourselves carelessly before everyone. It means becoming truthful before God, and before those whom our sin has wounded. Christ does not heal us by helping us hide; He heals us by bearing our guilt openly at the cross and bringing us safely into the light.
The chapter also warns that those who refuse to hear God’s instruction make even their prayers detestable (verse 9). In Hebrew thought, “hearing” includes obeying. Prayer cannot be used as an appeal against God’s already-revealed will. We cannot close our ears to Scripture, close our eyes to the poor, and then expect heaven to endorse our spirituality.
Today, ask: What am I concealing? Whose suffering have I trained myself not to see? Does my life give vulnerable people room to appear—or reasons to hide?
Suggested cross-references: Psalm 32:3–5; Amos
5:10–15; Luke 18:9–14; James 5:16; 1 John 1:7–9
Suggested hymn: “God, Be Merciful to Me”
Merciful Lord, search the hiding places within me. Give me a tender heart that fears You and a lion’s courage to face the truth. Teach me to confess, to listen, to repair what I have harmed, and to see those whom power has made invisible. Through Christ, bring me fully into Your light. Amen.