Chapter 22

On Life and Conduct

1 A agood name is to be more desired than great wealth,

Favor is better than silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor 1have a common bond,

The Lord is the amaker of them all.

3 The aprudent sees the evil and hides himself,

But the 1naive go on, and are punished for it.

4 The reward of humility and the 1fear of the Lord

Are riches, honor and life.

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

He who guards himself will be far from them.

6 aTrain up a child 1in the way he should go,

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

7 The arich rules over the poor,

And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

8 He who asows iniquity will reap vanity,

And the brod of his fury will perish.

9 He who 1is agenerous will be blessed,

For he bgives some of his food to the poor.

10 aDrive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,

Even strife and dishonor will cease.

11 He who loves apurity of heart

And 1whose speech is bgracious, the king is his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,

But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

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

I will be killed in the streets!”

14 The mouth of 1aan adulteress is a deep pit;

He who is bcursed of the Lord will fall 2into it.

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

The arod of discipline will remove it far from him.

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

Or who gives to the rich, bwill only come to poverty.

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

And apply your mind to my knowledge;

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

1That they may be ready on your lips.

19 So that your atrust may be in the Lord,

I have 1taught you today, even you.

20 Have I not written to you 1aexcellent things

Of counsels and knowledge,

21 To make you aknow the 1certainty of the words of truth

That you may 2bcorrectly answer him who sent you?

22 aDo not rob the poor because he is poor,

Or bcrush the afflicted at the gate;

23 For the Lord will aplead their case

And 1take the life of those who rob them.

24 Do not associate with a man given to anger;

Or go with a ahot-tempered man,

25 Or you will alearn his ways

And 1find a snare for yourself.

26 Do not be among those who agive 1pledges,

Among those who become guarantors for debts.

27 If you have nothing with which to pay,

Why should he atake your bed from under you?

28 aDo not move the ancient boundary

Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will astand before kings;

He will not stand before obscure men.