Proverbs 14:34 - The Word that God has spoken for the divine elevation of a nation is in Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” What, then, is righteousness? Righteousness is understood in two ways in the Bible: First it refers to the standing of those who are God’s people by means of the imputation of His righteousness that is credited to them at the moment of salvation (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:1-5).  God’s righteousness is given as a gift by means of faith, “to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly (Rom 4:5; cf. Rom. 3:24; 5:17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).