Proverbs 22

CHAPTER 22

Yahweh Is the Maker of All

¹A ^agood name is to be chosen over great wealth,

Favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor meet together in this—

Yahweh is the ^aMaker of them all.

³A ^aprudent man sees evil and hides,

But the simple pass on, and are punished.

⁴The reward of humility—the ¹fear of Yahweh—

Is riches, glory, and life.

^5aThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

He who keeps his soul will be far from them.

^61aTrain up a child ²according to his way,

Even when he is old he will not ³depart from it.

⁷The ^arich rules over the poor,

And the borrower is the slave of the lender.

⁸He who ^asows unrighteousness will reap iniquity,

And the ^brod of his fury will end.

⁹He who ¹is ^agenerous will be blessed,

For he ^bgives from his food to the poor.

^10aDrive out the scoffer, and strife will go out,

Even contention and disgrace will cease.

¹¹He who loves ^apurity of heart

And ^bgrace on his lips, the king is his friend.

¹²The eyes of Yahweh guard knowledge,

But He subverts the words of the treacherous one.

¹³The ^asluggard says, “There is a lion outside;

I will be killed in the streets!”

¹⁴The mouth of ^astrange women is a deep pit;

He who is ^bcursed of Yahweh will fall ¹into it.

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

The ^arod of discipline will remove it far from him.

¹⁶He ^awho oppresses the poor to make ¹more for himself

Or who gives to the rich ^bwill only come to lack.

^17aIncline your ear and hear the words of the wise,

And set your heart on my knowledge;

¹⁸For it will be ^apleasant if you keep them within you,

¹That they may be established on your lips.

¹⁹So that your ^atrust may be in Yahweh,

I have made you know today, even you.

²⁰Have I not written to you ^1aexcellent things

Of counsels and knowledge,

²¹To make you ^aknow the veracity of the words of truth

That you may ^1brespond with the words of truth to him who sent you?

^22aDo not rob the poor because he is poor,

And do not ^bcrush the afflicted at the gate;

²³For Yahweh will ^aplead their case

And rob the soul of those who rob them.

²⁴Do not befriend a man of anger;

And do not come along with a man of ^agreat wrath,

²⁵Lest you ^alearn his ways

And take on a snare against your soul.

²⁶Do not be among those who ^astrike ¹hands in pledge,

Among those who become guarantors for debts.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should he ^atake your bed from under you?

^28aDo not move the ancient boundary

Which your fathers made.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will ^astand before kings;

He will not stand before obscure men.