Proverbs 10:28
ESV
The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
NIV
The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
NASB
The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
CSB
The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
NLT
The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.
KJV
The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
NKJV
The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
What does Proverbs 10:28 mean?
According to this verse, righteous men and women experience trials, but they do not have any reason to despair. They know their trials will end someday (Romans 8:18; Revelation 21:1–4). They hope for that day, and their hope enables them to be joyful despite difficult circumstances (Hebrews 11:13–16). Those who rely on themselves, or lies, rather than God, are doomed to disappointment and condemnation (John 3:36).Paul's letter to the Philippians has been referred to often as "the joy epistle." The words "joy" and "rejoice" occur often in Philippians. It is noteworthy that Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote Philippians, but he retained a steadfast hope that someday he would depart this life and be with Jesus (Philippians 1:20–21). The apostle James writes in James 1:2: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." And Peter assures us that God "has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
Believers rejoice because they have an endless hope, but Solomon observes that the wicked have a hopeless end. Eventually, those who reject God will find themselves lost and eternally separated from Him (Matthew 16:26).
