Proverbs 28.13

New International Version (1984)
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
New Living Translation (©2007)
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

English Standard Version (©2001)
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
A son of man that will hide his evil will not succeed, and God will be moved with compassion upon him that confesses to his sins and passes from them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Whoever covers over his sins does not prosper. Whoever confesses and abandons them receives compassion.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.

American King James Version
He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.

American Standard Version
He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that shall confess, and forsake them, shall obtain mercy.

Darby Bible Translation
He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

English Revised Version
He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but he who confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

World English Bible
He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is covering his transgressions prospereth not, And he who is confessing and forsaking hath mercy.


Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The conditions of freedom are confession and amendment, confession to God of sins against Him, to men of sins against them. The teaching of ethical wisdom on this point is identical with that of psalmist, prophet, apostles, and our Lord Himself.

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible
He that covereth his sins - Here is a general direction relative to conversion.

1. If the sinner do not acknowledge his sins; if he cover and excuse them, and refuse to come to the light of God's word and Spirit, lest his deeds should be reproved, he shall find no salvation. God will never admit a sinful, unhumbled soul, into his kingdom.

2. But if he confess his sin, with a penitent and broken heart, and, by forsaking every evil way, give this proof that he feels his own sore, and the plague of his heart, then he shall have mercy. Here is a doctrine of vital importance to the salvation of the soul, which the weakest may understand.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper,.... God may cover a man's sins, and it is an instance of his grace, and it is the glory of it to do it, but a man may not cover his own: it is right in one good man to cover the sins of another, reproving him secretly, and freely forgiving him; but it is wrong in a man to cover his own: not that any man is bound to accuse himself before a court of judicature, or ought to expose his sins to the public, which would be to the hurt of his credit, and to the scandal of religion; but whenever he is charged with sin, and reproved for it by his fellow Christian, be should not cover it, that is, he should own it; for not to own and acknowledge it is to cover it; he should not deny it, which is to cover it with a lie, and is adding sin to sin; nor should he justify it, as if he had done a right thing; nor extenuate or excuse it, or impute it to others that drew him into it, as Adam, which is called a covering transgression, as Adam, Job 31:33; for such a man "shall not prosper"; in soul or body, in things temporal or spiritual; he shall not have peace of mind and conscience; but, sooner or later, shall feel the stings it; he shall not succeed even in those things he has in view by covering his sins; he shall not be able to cover them long, for there is nothing covered but what shall be revealed; if not in this life, which yet often is, however at the day of judgment, when every secret thing shall be made manifest; nor shall he escape the shame and punishment he thought to avoid by covering it, as may be observed in the case of Achan, Joshua 7:11; in short, he shall have no mercy shown him by God or man, as appears by the antithesis in the next clause;

but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy; who confesses them to men privately and publicly, according to the nature of the offences, from whom they find mercy; but not to a priest, in order for absolution, which no man can give; sin is only in this sense to be confessed to God, against it is committed, and who only can pardon it; and though it is known unto him, yet he requires an acknowledgment of it, which should be done from the heart, with an abhorrence of the sin, and in the faith of Christ, as a sacrifice for it; and it is not enough to confess, there must be a forsaking likewise, a parting with sin, a denying of sinful self, a leaving the former course of sin, and a quitting the company of wicked men before used to, and an abstaining from all appearance of evil; as is and will be the case, where there is a true sight and sense of sin, and the grace of God takes place: and such find "mercy", pardoning grace and mercy, or pardon in a way of mercy, and not merit; for though the sinner confesses and forsakes it, it is not that which merits pardon and mercy in God, who is rich in it, delights in showing it, and from whom it may be hoped for and expected by all such persons; see Psalm 32:5. So the Targum and Syriac version, God will have mercy on him.

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
13 He that denieth his sin shall not prosper;

But he that acknowledgeth and forsaketh it shall obtain mercy.

Thus is this proverb translated by Luther, and thus it lives in the mouth of the Christian people. He who falsely disowns, or with self-deception excuses, if he does not altogether justify his sins, which are discernible as פּשׁעים, has no success; he remains, after Psalm 32:1-11, in his conscience and life burdened with a secret ban; but he who acknowledges (the lxx has ἐξηγούμενος instead of ἐξομολογούμενος, as it ought to be) and forsakes (for the remissio does not follow the confessio, if there is not the accompaniment of nova obedientia) will find mercy (ירחם, as Hosea 14:4). In close connection therewith stands the thought that man has to work out his salvation "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

Geneva Study Bible
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
13. (Compare Ps 32:3-5). Concealment of sin delivers none from God's wrath, but He shows mercy to the humble penitent (Ps 51:4).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
28:1 Sin makes men cowards. Whatever difficulties the righteous meet in the way of duty, they are not daunted. 2. National sins disturb the public repose. 3. If needy persons get opportunities of oppressing, their extortion will be more severe than that of the more wealthy. 4. Wicked people strengthen one another in wicked ways. 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. 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. 7. Companions of riotous men not only grieve their parents, but shame them. 8. That which is ill got, though it may increase much, will not last long. Thus the poor are repaid, and God is glorified. 9. The sinner at whose prayers God is angry, is one who obstinately refuses to obey God's commands. 10. The success of ungodly men is their own misery. 11. Rich men are so flattered, that they think themselves superior to others. 12. There is glory in the land when the righteous have liberty. 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. 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. 15. A wicked ruler, whatever we may call him, this scripture calls a roaring lion, and a ranging bear. 16. Oppressors want understanding; they do not consult their own honour, ease, and safety. 17. The murderer shall be haunted with terrors. None shall desire to save him from deserved punishment, nor pity him.