22 A agood name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 The brich and the poor have this in common,

The cLord is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,

But the simple pass on and are dpunished.

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches and honor and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

He who guards his soul will be far from them.

6 eTrain up a child in the way he should go,

1And when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The frich rules over the poor,

And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He who sows iniquity will reap gsorrow, 2

And the rod of his anger will fail.

9 hHe who has a 3generous eye will be iblessed,

For he gives of his bread to the poor.

10 jCast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;

Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

11 kHe who loves purity of heart

And has grace on his lips,

The king will be his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

13 lThe lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be slain in the streets!”

14 mThe mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;

nHe who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

oThe rod of correction will drive it far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,

And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And apply your heart to my knowledge;

18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;

Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;

I have instructed you today, even you.

20 Have I not written to you excellent things

Of counsels and knowledge,

21 pThat I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,

qThat you may answer words of truth

To those who 4send to you?

22 Do not rob the rpoor because he is poor,

Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;

23 sFor the Lord will plead their cause,

And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man,

And with a tfurious man do not go,

25 Lest you learn his ways

And set a snare for your soul.

26 uDo not be one of those who 5shakes hands in a pledge,

One of those who is 6surety for debts;

27 If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should he take away your bed from under you?

28 vDo not remove the ancient 7landmark

Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man who 8excels in his work?

He will stand before kings;

He will not stand before 9unknown men.