What does Proverbs Chapter 28 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter’s statements remain attributed to its speaker. Exact images, future and conditional wording are preserved; edition notes are separately identified. The closing teachings retain their unresolved limits without added outcome guarantees.

Chapter breakdown

Proverbs 28 says the wicked flee without pursuit and the just, confident like a lion, shall have no dread. A land’s sins bring many princes; wisdom and knowledge in a man prolong the prince’s life. A poor oppressor of the poor resembles a famine-bringing shower. Law-forsakers praise the wicked, keepers oppose them; evil men do not think on judgment, Lord-seekers notice all. Simple poverty exceeds crooked riches. A law-keeping son is wise, feeding gluttons shames a father. Usury and loan gains gather for one bountiful to the poor; turning the ear from law makes prayer abominable. Leading the just into evil brings personal destruction, and the upright shall possess that person’s goods. The self-wise rich shall be searched by the prudent poor. Just joy is glory, wicked rule ruins men.

Concealed sins do not prosper; confession and forsaking bring mercy. Always fearing is blessed, hardened mind falls into evil. A wicked prince over poor people resembles roaring lion and hungry bear. An imprudent prince oppresses by calumny; covetousness-hating prolongs days. A person doing violence to blood, if fleeing to the pit, will not be stayed: this is not rewritten as an instruction to deny refuge. Simple walking shall be saved, perverse ways shall fall at once. Tilling brings bread, pursuing idleness poverty; the faithful shall be praised, hasty enrichment is not innocent. Judgment partiality is wrong, a morsel can prompt forsaking truth. Envious hasty wealth-seeking does not know coming poverty. Reproof shall find more favor than flattery. Theft from parents while denying sin makes one a murderer’s partner.

Boastfulness breeds quarrels; trusting the Lord shall be healed, retained as attributed wording rather than a medical promise. Own-heart trust is foolish, wise walking shall be saved. Giving to the poor shall not want, despising entreaty shall suffer indigence. Men hide when the wicked rise, and just people shall multiply when they perish. No guaranteed clinical outcome or expanded sacramental confession rule is added.

The story inside

Opening: The chapter’s statements remain attributed to its speaker. Development: Exact images, future and conditional wording are preserved; edition notes are separately identified. Conclusion: The closing teachings retain their unresolved limits without added outcome guarantees.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The chapter’s statements remain attributed to its speaker.
2
Exact images, future and conditional wording are preserved; edition notes are separately identified.
3
The closing teachings retain their unresolved limits without added outcome guarantees.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 69684–69685
The wicked man fleeth, when no man pursueth: but the just, bold as a lion, shall be without dread.
Lines 69709–69710
He that turneth away his ears from hearing the law, his prayer shall be an abomination.
Lines 69721–69722
He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.
Lines 69760–69761
He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool: but he that walketh wisely, he shall be saved.
Lines 69763–69764
He that giveth to the poor shall not want: he that despiseth his entreaty, shall suffer indigence.