Proverbs 22

22A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;

favor is better than silver and gold.^z

²Rich and poor have this in common:^C

the Lord makes them all.^aa

³A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,

but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.^a

⁴Humility, the fear of the Lord,

results in wealth, honor, and life.^b

⁵There are thorns and snares on the way of the crooked;^c

the one who guards himself stays far from them.

⁶Start a youth out on his way;^d

even when he grows old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,^e

and the borrower is a slave to the lender.^f

⁸The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,^g

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹A generous person^A will be blessed,^h

for he shares his food with the poor.ⁱ

¹⁰Drive out a mocker,^j and conflict goes too;

then quarreling and dishonor will cease.^k

¹¹The one who loves a pure heart

and gracious lips—the king is his friend.^l

¹²The Lord’s eyes keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside!

I’ll be killed in the public square!”^m

¹⁴The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;

a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.ⁿ

¹⁵Foolishness is bound to the heart of a youth;

a rod of discipline will separate it from him.^o

¹⁶Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,

and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.^p

WORDS OF THE WISE

¹⁷Listen closely,^B pay attention to the words of the wise,^q

and apply your mind to my knowledge.

¹⁸For it is pleasing if you keep them within you

and if they are^C constantly on your lips.

¹⁹I have instructed you today—even you—

so that your confidence may be in the Lord.

²⁰Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings^D

about counsel and knowledge,

²¹in order to teach you true and reliable words,

so that you may give a dependable report^Er

to those who sent you?^s

²²Don’t rob a poor person because he is poor,

and don’t crush the oppressed^t at the city gate,^u

²³for the Lord will champion their cause^v

and will plunder those who plunder them.

²⁴Don’t make friends with an angry person,^F

and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered one,^w

²⁵or you will learn his ways^x

and entangle yourself in a snare.

²⁶Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,^A

who put up security for loans.^y

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,

even your bed will be taken from under you.^z

²⁸Don’t move an ancient boundary marker

that your ancestors set up.^a

²⁹Do you see a person skilled in his work?

He will stand in the presence of kings.

He will not stand in the presence of the unknown.^a