Proverbs 28:16

All About Life

¹⁵ A wicked ruler over a helpless people
is like a roaring lion or a charging bear. ¹⁶ A leader who lacks understanding
is very oppressive,
but one who hates dishonest profit
prolongs his life. ¹⁷ A man burdened by bloodguilt
will be a fugitive until death.
Let no one help him.

Ill-Gotten Gain

No

Isaiah 3:12

Youths oppress My people,
and women rule over them.
My people, your leaders mislead you;
they confuse the direction of your paths.

Exodus 18:21

But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.

1 Kings 12:10

Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

1 Kings 12:14

and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”

Nehemiah 5:15

The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking food and wine from them, as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but I didn’t do this, because of the fear of God.

Ecclesiastes 4:1

Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

Isaiah 33:15-16

The one who lives righteously
and speaks rightly,
who refuses gain from extortion,
whose hand never takes a bribe,
who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots
and shuts his eyes to avoid endorsing evil—

Jeremiah 22:15-17

Are you a king because you excel in cedar?
Didn’t your father eat and drink
and administer justice and righteousness?
Then it went well with him.

Amos 4:1

Listen to this message, you cows of Bashan
who are on the hill of Samaria,
women who oppress the poor
and crush the needy,
who say to their husbands,
“Bring us something to drink.”