Proverbs 22
New American Standard Bible
On Life and Conduct
22 A (A)good name is to be more desired than great wealth;
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor [a]have a common bond,
The Lord is the (B)Maker of them all.
3 A (C)prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
4 The reward of humility and [b]the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
5 (D)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
6 (E)Train up a child [c]in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
7 The (F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8 One who (G)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the (H)rod of his fury will perish.
9 One who [d]is (I)generous will be blessed,
Because he (J)gives some of his food to the poor.
10 (K)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
11 One who loves (L)purity of heart
And [e]whose speech is (M)gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
13 The [f](N)lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of [g](O)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (P)cursed of the Lord will fall [h]into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The (Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 One (R)who oppresses the poor to make [i]more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, (S)will only come to poverty.
17 (T)Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be (U)pleasant if you keep them within you,
[j]So that they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your (V)trust may be in the Lord,
I have [k]taught you today, you indeed.
20 Have I not written to you [l](W)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you (X)know the [m]certainty of the words of truth,
So that you may [n](Y)correctly answer him who sent you?
22 (Z)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor (AA)crush the needy at the gate;
23 For the Lord will (AB)plead their case
And [o]take the life of those who rob them.
24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a (AC)hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will (AD)learn his ways
And [p]find a snare for yourself.
26 Do not be among those who (AE)shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to repay,
Why should he (AF)take your bed from under you?
28 (AG)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will (AH)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:2 Lit meet together
- Proverbs 22:4 Or reverence for
- Proverbs 22:6 Lit according to his way
- Proverbs 22:9 Lit has a good eye
- Proverbs 22:11 Lit has grace on his lips
- Proverbs 22:13 Lit idle
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
- Proverbs 22:16 Lit much
- Proverbs 22:18 Lit They together
- Proverbs 22:19 Lit made you know
- Proverbs 22:20 Or previous
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit truth
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit return words of truth
- Proverbs 22:23 Lit rob the soul
- Proverbs 22:25 Lit take
Proverbs 22
Authorized (King James) Version
22 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,
and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 The rich and poor meet together:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself:
but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord
are riches, and honour, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward:
he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7 The rich ruleth over the poor,
and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity:
and the rod of his anger shall fail.
9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed;
for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out;
yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
11 He that loveth pureness of heart,
for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without,
I shall be slain in the streets.
14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit:
he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.
15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;
but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches,
and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise,
and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee;
they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the Lord,
I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things
in counsels and knowledge,
21 that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth;
that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor:
neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23 for the Lord will plead their cause,
and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man;
and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25 lest thou learn his ways,
and get a snare to thy soul.
26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands,
or of them that are sureties for debts.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay,
why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28 Remove not the ancient landmark,
which thy fathers have set.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business?
he shall stand before kings;
he shall not stand before mean men.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.