22 A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.(A)

The rich and the poor have this in common:[a]
the Lord made them both.[b](B)

A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,
but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(C)

The result of humility is fear of the Lord,
along with wealth, honor, and life.(D)

There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked;(E)
the one who guards himself stays far from them.

Teach a youth about the way he should go;(F)
even when he is old he will not depart from it.

The rich rule over the poor,(G)
and the borrower is a slave to the lender.(H)

The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,(I)
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

A generous person[c] will be blessed,(J)
for he shares his food with the poor.(K)

10 Drive out a mocker,(L) and conflict goes too;
then quarreling and dishonor will cease.(M)

11 The one who loves a pure heart
and gracious lips—the king is his friend.(N)

12 The Lord’s eyes keep watch over knowledge,
but He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”(O)

14 The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.(P)

15 Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth;
the rod of discipline will drive it away from him.(Q)

16 Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.(R)

Words of the Wise

17 Listen closely,[d] pay attention to the words of the wise,(S)
and apply your mind to my knowledge.
18 For it is pleasing if you keep them within you
and if[e] they are constantly on your lips.
19 I have instructed you today—even you—
so that your confidence may be in the Lord.
20 Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings[f]
about counsel and knowledge,
21 in order to teach you true and reliable words,
so that you may give a dependable report[g](T)
to those who sent you?(U)

22 Don’t rob a poor man because he is poor,
and don’t crush the oppressed(V) at the gate,(W)
23 for the Lord will take up their case(X)
and will plunder those who plunder them.

24 Don’t make friends with an angry man,[h]
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered man,(Y)
25 or you will learn his ways(Z)
and entangle yourself in a snare.

26 Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,[i]
who put up security for loans.(AA)
27 If you have no money to pay,
even your bed will be taken from under you.(AB)

28 Don’t move an ancient boundary marker
that your fathers set up.(AC)

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand in the presence of kings.
He will not stand in the presence of unknown men.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:2 Lit poor meet
  2. Proverbs 22:2 Lit all
  3. Proverbs 22:9 Lit Good of eye
  4. Proverbs 22:17 Lit Stretch out your ear
  5. Proverbs 22:18 Or you; let them be, or you, so that
  6. Proverbs 22:20 Text emended; one Hb tradition reads you previously; alt Hb tradition reads you excellent things; LXX, Syr, Vg read you three times
  7. Proverbs 22:21 Lit give dependable words
  8. Proverbs 22:24 Lit with a master of anger
  9. Proverbs 22:26 Lit who shakes hands

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