The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one's after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.
1
The wicked flee when no one pursues; But the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2 When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it - But it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out.
2
In rebellion, a land has many rulers, But order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
3 The wicked who oppress the poor are like a hailstorm that beats down the harvest.
3
A needy man who oppresses the poor Is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.
4 If you desert God's law, you're free to embrace depravity; if you love God's law, you fight for it tooth and nail.
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Those who forsake the law praise the wicked; But those who keep the law contend with them.
5 Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek God know it inside and out.
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Evil men don't understand justice; But those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
6 It's better to be poor and direct than rich and crooked.
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Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, Than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
7 Practice God's law - get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd - embarrass your family.
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Whoever keeps the law is a wise son; But he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8 Get as rich as you want through cheating and extortion, But eventually some friend of the poor is going to give it all back to them.
8
He who increases his wealth by excessive interest Gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
9 God has no use for the prayers of the people who won't listen to him.
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He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
10 Lead good people down a wrong path and you'll come to a bad end; do good and you'll be rewarded for it.
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Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, He will fall into his own trap; But the blameless will inherit good.
11 The rich think they know it all, but the poor can see right through them.
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The rich man is wise in his own eyes; But the poor who has understanding sees through him.
12 When good people are promoted, everything is great, but when the bad are in charge, watch out!
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When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
13 You can't whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them.
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He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, But whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14 A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life.
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Blessed is the man who always fears; But one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
15 Lions roar and bears charge - and the wicked lord it over the poor.
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As a roaring lion or a charging bear, So is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
16 Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright.
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The ruler who lacks judgment is a great tyrant. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.
17 A murderer haunted by guilt is doomed - there's no helping him.
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A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; No one will support him.
18 Walk straight - live well and be saved; a devious life is a doomed life. Doing Great Harm in Seemingly Harmless Ways
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Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; But one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.
19 Work your garden - you'll end up with plenty of food; play and party - you'll end up with an empty plate.
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One who works his land will have an abundance of food; But one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
20 Committed and persistent work pays off; get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs.
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A faithful man is rich with blessings; But one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
21 Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways.
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To show partiality is not good; Yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 A miser in a hurry to get rich doesn't know that he'll end up broke.
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A stingy man hurries after riches, And doesn't know that poverty waits for him.
23 In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than bootlicking flattery.
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One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor Than one who flatters with the tongue.
24 Anyone who robs father and mother and says, "So, what's wrong with that?" is worse than a pirate.
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Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.
25 A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in God brings a sense of well-being.
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One who is greedy stirs up strife; But one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
26 If you think you know it all, you're a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.
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One who trusts in himself is a fool; But one who walks in wisdom, he is kept safe.
27 Be generous to the poor - you'll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses.
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One who gives to the poor has no lack; But one who closes his eyes will have many curses.
28 When corruption takes over, good people go underground, but when the crooks are thrown out, it's safe to come out.
28
When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous thrive.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.