Zhēnyán 28

1 È rén suī wú rén zhuīgǎn yĕ taópǎo , yì rén què dǎn zhuàng xiàng shīzi .

2 Bāng guó yīn yǒu zuì guō , jūnwáng jiù duō gēnghuàn . yīn yǒu cōngming zhīshi de rén , guó bì chángcún .

3 Qióngrén qīyē pín mín , hǎoxiàng bào yǔ chōng mò liángshi .

4 Wéi qì lǜfǎ de , kuājiǎng è rén . zūnshǒu lǜfǎ de , què yǔ è rén xiāng zhēng .

5 Huaì rén bù míngbai gōngyì . wéiyǒu xúnqiú Yēhéhuá de , wú bù míngbai .

6 Xíngwéi chún zhēng de qióngfá rén , shēng guo xíngshì guāi pì de fùzú rén .

7 Jǐn shǒu lǜfǎ de shì zhìhuì zhī zǐ . yǔ tānshí rén zuò bàn de , què xiūrǔ qí fù .

8 Rén yǐ hòu lì jiā zēng cáiwù , shì gĕi nà liánmǐn qióngrén zhĕ jīxù de .

9 Zhuǎn ĕr bù tīng lǜfǎ de , tāde qídǎo yĕ wèi kĕ zēng .

10 Yòuhuò zhèngzhí rén xíng è dào de , bì diào zaì zìjǐ de kēng lǐ . wéiyǒu wánquán rén , bì chéngshòu fú fēn .

11 Fùzú rén zì yǐwéi yǒu zhìhuì . dàn cōngming de pínqióng rén , néng jiāng tā zhā tòu .

12 Yì rén dé zhì yǒu dà róngyào . è rén xīngqǐ rén jiù duǒcáng .

13 Zhēyǎn zìjǐ zuì guo de , bì bù xiǎng tōng . chéngrèn lí qì zuì guo de , bì méng liánxù .

14 Cháng cún jìngwèi de , biàn wèi yǒu fú . xīn cún gāng yìng de , bì xiàn zaì huòhuàn lǐ .

15 Bào nüè de jūnwáng xiá zhì pín mín . hǎoxiàng hǒu jiào de shīzi , mì shí de xióng .

16 Wúzhī de jūn duō xíng bào nüè . yǐ tān cái wèi kĕ hèn de , bì nián zhǎng rì jiǔ .

17 Bēi fù liú rén xuè zhī zuì de , bì wǎng kēng lǐ bēnpǎo , shuí yĕ bùkĕ lánzǔ tā .

18 Xíngdòng zhèngzhí de , bì méng zhĕngjiù . xíngshì wānqū de , lìshí diēdǎo .

19 Gēngzhòng zìjǐ tiándì de , bì dé bǎo shí . zhuīsuí xūfú de , zú shòu qióngfá .

20 Chéngshí rén bì duō dé fú , xiǎng yào jísù fā cái de , bù miǎn shòu fá .

21 Kàn rén de qíngmian , nǎi wèi bù hǎo . rén yīn yī kuaì bǐng wǎng fǎ , yĕ wèi bù hǎo .

22 Rén yǒu è yǎn xiǎng yào jísù fā cái , què bù zhī qióngfá bì líndào tā shēn .

23 Zébeì rén de , hòulái méng rén xǐyuè , duō yú nà yòng shétou chǎnmeì rén de .

24 Tōuqiè fùmǔ de , shuō , zhè bú shì zuì . cǐ rén jiù shì yǔ qiángdào tóng leì .

25 Xīn zhōng tānlán de , tiǎoqǐ zhēng duān . yǐkào Yēhéhuá de , bì dé fēng yù .

26 Xīn zhōng zì shì de , biàn shì yúmeì rén . píng zhìhuì xíngshì de , bì méng zhĕngjiù .

27 Zhōujì pínqióng de , bù zhì quē fá . yáng wèi bù jiàn de , bì duō shòu zhòuzǔ .

28 È rén xīngqǐ , rén jiù duǒcáng . è rén baì wáng , yì rén zēng duō .

Zhēnyán 28 Commentary

Chapter 28

Verse 1 Sin makes men cowards. Whatever difficulties the righteous meet in the way of duty, they are not daunted. Verse 2 . National sins disturb the public repose. Verse 3 . If needy persons get opportunities of oppressing, their extortion will be more severe than that of the more wealthy. Verse 4 . Wicked people strengthen one another in wicked ways. Verse 5 . If a man seeks the Lord, it is a good sign that he understands much, and it is a good means of understanding more. Verse 6 . An honest, godly, poor man, is better than a wicked, ungodly, rich man; has more comfort in himself, and is a greater blessing to the world. Verse 7 . Companions of riotous men not only grieve their parents, but shame them. Verse 8 . That which is ill got, though it may increase much, will not last long. Thus the poor are repaid, and God is glorified. Verse 9 . The sinner at whose prayers God is angry, is one who obstinately refuses to obey God's commands. Verse 10 . The success of ungodly men is their own misery. Verse 11 . Rich men are so flattered, that they think themselves superior to others. Verse 12 . There is glory in the land when the righteous have liberty. Verse 13 . It is folly to indulge sin, and excuse it. He who covers his sins, shall not have any true peace. He who humbly confesses his sins, with true repentance and faith, shall find mercy from God. The Son of God is our great atonement. Under a deep sense of our guilt and danger, we may claim salvation from that mercy which reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Verse 14 . There is a fear which causes happiness. Faith and love will deliver from the fear of eternal misery; but we should always fear offending God, and fear sinning against him. Verse 15 . A wicked ruler, whatever we may call him, this scripture calls a roaring lion, and a ranging bear. Verse 16 . Oppressors want understanding; they do not consult their own honour, ease, and safety. Verse 17 . The murderer shall be haunted with terrors. None shall desire to save him from deserved punishment, nor pity him. Verse 18 . Uprightness will give men holy security in the worst times; but the false and dishonest are never safe. Verse 19 . Those who are diligent, take the way to live comfortably. Verse 20 . The true way to be happy, is to be holy and honest; not to raise an estate suddenly, without regard to right or wrong. Verse 21 . Judgment is perverted, when any thing but pure right is considered. Verse 22 . He that hastens to be rich, never seriously thinks how quickly God may take his wealth from him, and leave him in poverty. Verse 23 . Upon reflection, most will have a better opinion of a faithful reprover than of a soothing flatterer. Verse 24 . Here is the wickedness of those who think it no sin to rob their parents, by wheedling them or threatening them, or by wasting what they have, and running into debt. Verse 25 . Those make themselves always easy, that live in continual dependence upon God and his grace, and live by faith. Verse 26 . A fool trusts to his own strength, merit, and righteousness. And trusts to his own heart, which is not only deceitful above all things, but which has often deceived him. Verse 27 . A selfish man not only will not look out for objects of compassion, but will look off from those that call for his attention. Verse 28 . When power is put into the hands of the wicked, wise men decline public business. If the reader will go diligently over this and the other chapters, in many places where at first he may suppose there is least of Christ, still he will find what will lead to him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 15

In this chapter we have a short history of the reign of Abijam, 1Ki 15:1-8 and of Asa, 1Ki 14:9-24, both kings of Judah; and of the reigns of Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and of Baasha, who destroyed his family, both kings of Israel, 1Ki 15:25-34.