He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous shall flourish as the green leaf.
Parallel translations
- KJV He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.
- BSB He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.
- NKJV He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage.
- NASB One who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
- NLT Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Those who trust in riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like green leaves. Misplaced trust in wealth fails, while trust in God brings life.
Overview
The proverb contrasts the collapse of those who rely on riches with the vibrant, leafy flourishing of the righteous. It exposes the instability of wealth as an object of trust. Jesus likewise warned against serving money and called His followers to trust God, who alone makes the soul flourish.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Tim 6:17Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;
- Jer 17:8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
- Ps 52:7–8“Behold, this is the man who didn’t make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
- Ps 1:3He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that produces its fruit in its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.
- Ps 92:12–14The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
- Ps 62:10Don’t trust in oppression. Don’t become vain in robbery. If riches increase, don’t set your heart on them.
- Mark 10:24–25The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
- Prov 10:15The rich man’s wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
- Job 31:24–25“If I have made gold my hope, and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’
- Ps 49:6Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches —
- Isa 60:21Then your people will all be righteous. They will inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
- Deut 8:12–14lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built fine houses, and lived in them;
- Luke 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared — whose will they be?’
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 11:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.