Proverbs 22

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

favor is better than silver and gold. ^j

²The rich and the poor have this in common: ^k

the Lord made them both. ^lm

³A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,

but the inexperienced keep going and are punished. ⁿ

⁴The result of humility is fear of the Lord,

along with wealth, honor, and life. ^o

⁵There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; ^p

the one who guards himself stays far from them.

⁶Teach a youth about the way he should go; ^q

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

⁷The rich rule over the poor, ^r

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

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

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹A generous person ^uwill be blessed, ^v

for he shares his food with the poor. ^w

¹⁰Drive out a mocker, ^xand conflict goes too;

then quarreling and dishonor will cease. ^y

¹¹The one who loves a pure heart

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

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!” ^a

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

a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it. ^b

¹⁵Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth;

the rod of discipline will drive it away from him. ^c

¹⁶Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,

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

Words of the Wise

¹⁷Listen closely, ^epay attention to the words of the wise, ^f

and apply your mind to my knowledge.

¹⁸For it is pleasing if you keep them within you

and if ^gthey are 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 ^h

about counsel and knowledge,

²¹in order to teach you true and reliable words,

so that you may give a dependable report ^ij

to those who sent you? ^k

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

and don’t crush the oppressed ^lat the gate, ^m

²³for the Lord will take up their case ⁿ

and will plunder those who plunder them.

²⁴Don’t make friends with an angry man, ^o

and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered man, ^p

²⁵or you will learn his ways ^q

and entangle yourself in a snare.

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

who put up security for loans. ^s

²⁷If you have no money to pay,

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

²⁸Don’t move an ancient boundary marker,

that your fathers set up. ^u

²⁹Do 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. ^v