“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked”: “Forsake”, as in 4.2, means to “reject” or “abandon.” “The law” translates the Hebrew torah, which may mean either the Mosaic Law or the teachings of the wise. Scott takes it to mean “morality,” but Bible en français courant and Revised English Bible have “God’s law.” If the translation of “law” is likely to be understood as local regulations, it will be better to translate “God’s law.” “Praise the wicked” is often expressed as “say that evil people are great” or “speak well of the wicked.”
“But those who keep the law strive against them”: This line contrasts with the first. “Keep the law” means “obey the law.” “Strive against” means “to struggle against” or “to be in conflict with.” Here we may say, for example, “Those who obey God’s law struggle against evil people” or, as Contemporary English Version says, “. . . always oppose them.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 28:4:
Kupsabiny: “A person who does not obey/respect the law agrees with the words/deeds of sinners, but the one who honors (it), he fights against those sinners.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Those who do not obey the law praise the wicked. But those who obey the law oppose them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The ones who do- not -obey the Law praises the wicked ones, but the ones who obey, go-against the wicked ones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Those who turn-their-backs-on the law of God, they honor/praise sinful-people, but those who obey his law, they oppose them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “Those who reject/disobey God’s laws always speak well of wicked people; but those who obey God’s laws always oppose what wicked people do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yucateco as “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198), and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
McKnight’s English translation (publ. 2023) has it as Covenant Code. He explains (p. 301): “The law of Moses was a covenantal arrangement by God with the people of Israel. This code of conduct expected of them was not the same as law in the Roman world or what law means to us today. It is a revelation of God’s will for God’s covenant people but requires ongoing interpretation and adjustments.”
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