Proverbs 28:8
“He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Wealth obtained by exploitation and usury will ultimately pass to those who are generous.
Context
A proverb asserting that unjust gain is inherently unstable and will not endure.
What Does Proverbs 28:8 Mean?
Money acquired through unjust means—through usury, fraud, or exploitation—does not stay with the one who took it. The very injustice that accumulated it destabilizes it, making it temporary and subject to loss or transfer.
In the end, such ill-gotten wealth passes to others, often to those of generous heart who will use it justly. The exploiter loses what he gained, and his gain becomes an instrument of compassion. The wicked becomes merely a conduit.
In the Original Language
nešekh (נֶשֶׁךְ), 'usury' — interest on loans to the poor, which the Torah forbade as exploitation of the vulnerable.