22 pA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.

2  qThe rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is rthe Maker of them all.

3  sThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but the simple go on and suffer for it.

4  The reward for humility and fear of the Lord

is triches and honor and life.1

5  uThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

whoever vguards his soul will keep far from them.

6  wTrain up a child in the way he should go;

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

7  xThe rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

8  Whoever ysows injustice will reap calamity,

and zthe rod of his fury will fail.

9  aWhoever has a bountiful2 eye will be blessed,

for he bshares his bread with the poor.

10  cDrive out a scoffer, dand strife will go out,

and equarreling and abuse will cease.

11  He who floves purity of heart,

and whose gspeech is gracious, hwill have the king as his friend.

12  The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he ioverthrows the words of the traitor.

13  jThe sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be killed in the streets!”

14  The mouth of kforbidden3 women is la deep pit;

mhe with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

15  Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but nthe rod of discipline drives it far from him.

16  Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, owill only come to poverty.

Words of the Wise

17  pIncline your ear, and hear qthe words of the wise,

rand apply your heart to my knowledge,

18  for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips.

19  That your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today, even to you.

20  Have I not written for you sthirty sayings

of counsel and knowledge,

21  to tmake you know what is right and true,

that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

22  uDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or vcrush the afflicted at wthe gate,

23  for xthe Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them.

24  Make no friendship with a man given to anger,

nor go with a wrathful man,

25  lest you learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

26  Be not one of those who ygive pledges,

who put up security for debts.

27  If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should zyour bed be taken from under you?

28  Do not move the ancient alandmark

that your fathers have set.

29  Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will bstand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.