- English translation
Own up to your sin, and God will pardon you.
- Literal wording
Whoever admits his sin, God forgives him.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb teaches that acknowledging one's own sin is what leads to being forgiven. Instead of hiding or denying a wrong, the person who owns it is promised God's pardon, so the act of admission itself becomes a means of rescue.
Put simply, the saying links honest admission and divine forgiveness as cause and outcome; its point is religious, not merely a secular remark about honesty. Owning up to wrongdoing is framed as the decisive step toward being pardoned by God.
- When it is used
Fitting when someone is reluctant to admit a wrong they have done. A speaker can offer it as encouragement to own up, reminding the listener that acknowledging one's sin is the path to God's forgiveness.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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