Proverbs 22-31

New American Standard Bible

22 A ^(A)good name is to be more desired than great wealth;
Favor is better than silver and gold.
² The rich and the poor ^[a]have a common bond,
The Lord is the ^(B)Maker of them all.
³ A ^(C)prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
⁴ The reward of humility and ^[b]the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
^5 (D)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
^6 (E)Train up a child ^[c]in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
⁷ The ^(F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
⁸ One who ^(G)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the ^(H)rod of his fury will perish.
⁹ One who ^[d]is ^(I)generous will be blessed,
Because he ^(J)gives some of his food to the poor.
^10 (K)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
¹¹ One who loves ^(L)purity of heart
And ^[e]whose speech is ^(M)gracious, the king is his friend.
¹² The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
¹³ The ^[f](N)lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴ The mouth of ^[g](O)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is ^(P)cursed of the Lord will fall ^[h]into it.
¹⁵ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The ^(Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
¹⁶ One ^(R)who oppresses the poor to make ^[i]more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, ^(S)will only come to poverty.

23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully ^[q]what is before you,
² And put a knife to your throat
If you are a ^(AI)person of great appetite.
³ Do not ^(AJ)desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

24 Do not be ^(CD)envious of evil people,
Nor desire to ^(CE)be with them;
² For their ^[al]minds plot ^(CF)violence,
And their lips ^(CG)talk of trouble.

² It is the glory of God to ^(EB)conceal a matter,
But the glory of ^(EC)kings is to search out a matter.
³ As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.
⁴ Take away the ^[be](ED)impurities from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the ^(EE)smith;
⁵ Take away the ^(EF)wicked before the king,
And his ^(EG)throne will be established in righteousness.
⁶ Do not boast in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the same place ^[bf]as great people;
⁷ For ^(EH)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom your eyes have seen.

26 Like snow in summer and like ^(FI)rain in harvest,
So honor is not ^(FJ)fitting for a fool.
² Like a ^(FK)sparrow in its ^[cb]flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
So a ^(FL)curse without cause does not come to rest.
³ A ^(FM)whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
And a ^(FN)rod for the back of fools.
^4 (FO)Do not answer a fool ^[cc]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
^5 (FP)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be ^(FQ)wise in his own eyes.
⁶ One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.
⁷ Like ^[cd]useless legs to one who cannot walk,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
⁸ Like ^[ce]one who binds a stone in a sling,
So is one who gives honor to a fool.
⁹ Like a thorn that ^[cf]sticks in the hand of a heavy drinker,
So is a proverb in the mouths of fools.
^10 [cg]Like an archer who wounds everyone,
So is one who hires a fool or hires those who pass by.
¹¹ Like ^(FR)a dog that returns to its vomit,
So is a fool who ^(FS)repeats ^[ch]his foolishness.
¹² Do you see a person ^(FT)wise in his own eyes?
^(FU)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
^13 [ci]A ^(FV)lazy one says, “There is a lion on the road!
A lion is ^[cj]in the public square!”
¹⁴ As the door turns on its hinges,
So does a ^(FW)lazy one on his bed.
¹⁵ A ^(FX)lazy one buries his hand in the dish;
He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
¹⁶ A lazy one is ^(FY)wiser in his own eyes
Than seven people who can ^[ck]give a discreet answer.
¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ^[cl]meddles with ^(FZ)strife not belonging to him.
¹⁸ Like a maniac who shoots
^(GA)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
¹⁹ So is a person who ^(GB)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “^(GC)Was I not joking?”
²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(GD)gossiper, ^(GE)quarreling quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(GF)contentious person to kindle strife.
²² The ^(GG)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[cm]innermost parts of the body.
²³ Like an earthenware ^(GH)vessel overlaid with silver ^[cn](GI)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.
²⁴ One who ^(GJ)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he harbors ^(GK)deceit in his ^[co]heart.
²⁵ When ^[cp]he ^(GL)speaks graciously, do not believe him,
Because there are seven abominations in his heart.
²⁶ Though his hatred ^(GM)covers itself with deception,
His wickedness will be ^(GN)revealed in the assembly.
²⁷ One who ^(GO)digs a pit will fall into it,
And one who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates ^[cq]those it crushes,
And a ^(GP)flattering mouth works ruin.

27 ^(GQ)Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you ^(GR)do not know what a day may bring.
² Let ^(GS)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.
³ A stone is heavy and the sand weighty,
But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
⁴ Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood,
But ^(GT)who can stand before jealousy?
⁵ Better is ^(GU)open rebuke
Than love that is concealed.
⁶ Faithful are the ^(GV)wounds of a friend,
But ^[cr]deceitful are the ^(GW)kisses of an enemy.
⁷ A satisfied ^[cs]person ^[ct]despises honey,
But to a hungry ^[cu]person any bitter thing is sweet.
⁸ Like a ^(GX)bird that wanders from its nest,
So is a person who ^(GY)wanders from his ^[cv]home.
^9 (GZ)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
And a ^[cw]person’s advice is sweet to his friend.
¹⁰ Do not abandon your ^(HA)friend or ^(HB)your father’s friend,
And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster;
Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.
^11 (HC)Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad,
So that I may ^(HD)reply to one who taunts me.
¹² A prudent person sees evil and hides himself;
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
^13 (HE)Take his garment when he becomes a guarantor for a stranger;
And for a foreign woman seize a pledge from him.
^14 (HF)One who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be considered a curse to him.
¹⁵ A ^(HG)constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
¹⁶ He who would ^[cx]restrain her ^[cy]restrains the wind,
And ^[cz]grasps oil with his right hand.
¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
So one person sharpens another.
¹⁸ One who tends the ^(HH)fig tree will eat its fruit,
And one who ^(HI)cares for his master will be honored.
¹⁹ As in water a face reflects the face,
So the heart of a person reflects the person.
^20 [da](HJ)Sheol and ^[db]Abaddon are ^(HK)never satisfied,
Nor are the ^(HL)eyes of a person ever satisfied.
²¹ The ^(HM)crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each ^(HN)is tested by the praise accorded him.
²² Though you ^(HO)pound the fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
His foolishness still will not leave him.

28 The wicked ^(HS)flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are ^[dd]bold as a lion.
² Due to a ^[de]wrongdoing of ^[df]a land its leaders are ^(HT)many,
But ^(HU)by a person of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
³ A ^(HV)poor man who oppresses the helpless
Is like a driving rain ^[dg]which leaves no food.
⁴ Those who abandon the Law ^(HW)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the Law ^(HX)strive against them.
⁵ Evil people ^(HY)do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord ^(HZ)understand everything.
^6 (IA)Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity,
Than a person who is ^[dh]crooked, though he is rich.
⁷ He who keeps the Law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of ^(IB)gluttons humiliates his father.
⁸ One who increases his wealth by ^[di](IC)interest of any kind,
Collects it ^(ID)for one who is gracious to the poor.
⁹ One who turns his ear away from listening to the Law,
Even his ^(IE)prayer is an abomination.
¹⁰ One who leads the upright astray in an evil way
Will ^(IF)himself fall into his own pit,
But the ^(IG)blameless will inherit good.
¹¹ The rich person is ^(IH)wise in his own eyes,
But the poor who has understanding ^[dj]sees through him.
¹² When the ^(II)righteous triumph, there is great glory,
But ^(IJ)when the wicked rise, people ^[dk]hide themselves.
¹³ One who ^(IK)conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper,
But one who ^(IL)confesses and abandons them will find compassion.
¹⁴ How blessed is the person who ^(IM)fears always,
But one who ^(IN)hardens his heart will fall into disaster.
¹⁵ Like a ^(IO)roaring lion and a rushing bear
Is a ^(IP)wicked ruler over a poor people.
¹⁶ A ^(IQ)leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding,
But a person who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
¹⁷ A person who is ^(IR)burdened with the guilt of human blood
Will ^[dl]be a fugitive until death; no one is to support him!
¹⁸ One who walks blamelessly will receive help,
But one who is ^[dm](IS)crooked will fall all at once.
^19 (IT)One who works his land will ^(IU)have plenty of food,
But one who follows empty pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
²⁰ A ^(IV)faithful person will abound with blessings,
But one who ^(IW)hurries to be rich will not go unpunished.
²¹ To ^[dn](IX)show partiality is not good,
^(IY)Because for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
²² A person with an ^(IZ)evil eye ^(JA)hurries after wealth
And does not know that poverty will come upon him.
²³ One who ^(JB)rebukes a person will afterward find more favor
Than one who ^(JC)flatters with the tongue.
²⁴ He who ^(JD)robs his father or his mother
And says, “There is no wrong done,”
Is the ^(JE)companion of a person who destroys.
²⁵ An ^[do]arrogant person ^(JF)stirs up strife,
But one who ^(JG)trusts in the Lord ^(JH)will ^[dp]prosper.
²⁶ One who ^(JI)trusts in his own heart is a fool,
But one who walks wisely will flee to safety.
²⁷ One who ^(JJ)gives to the poor will never lack anything,
But one who ^[dq]shuts his eyes will have many curses.
²⁸ When the wicked rise, people hide themselves;
But when they perish, the righteous increase.

29 A person ^[dr]often ^(JK)rebuked who ^[ds]becomes obstinate
Will ^(JL)suddenly be broken ^[dt]beyond remedy.
² When the ^(JM)righteous ^[du]increase, the people rejoice,
But when a wicked person rules, people groan.
³ A man who ^(JN)loves wisdom makes his father glad,
But he who ^(JO)involves himself with prostitutes wastes his wealth.
⁴ The ^(JP)king gives stability to the land by justice,
But a person who takes bribes ruins it.
⁵ A man who ^(JQ)flatters his neighbor
Is spreading a net for his steps.
⁶ By wrongdoing an evil person is ^(JR)ensnared,
But the righteous ^(JS)sings and rejoices.
⁷ The ^(JT)righteous ^[dv]is concerned for the rights of the poor;
The wicked does not understand such ^[dw]concern.
⁸ Arrogant people ^(JU)inflame a city,
But ^(JV)wise people turn away anger.
⁹ When a wise person has a controversy with a foolish person,
^[dx]The foolish person either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.
¹⁰ People of ^(JW)bloodshed hate the blameless person,
But the upright ^[dy]are concerned for his life.
¹¹ A ^(JX)fool ^[dz]always loses his temper,
But a ^(JY)wise person holds it back.
¹² If a ^(JZ)ruler pays attention to falsehood,
All his ministers become wicked.
¹³ The ^(KA)poor person and the oppressor ^[ea]have this in common:
The Lord gives ^(KB)light to the eyes of both.
¹⁴ If a ^(KC)king judges the poor with truth,
His ^(KD)throne will be established forever.
¹⁵ The ^(KE)rod and a rebuke give wisdom,
But a child ^[eb]who gets his own way ^(KF)brings shame to his mother.
¹⁶ When the wicked ^[ec]increase, wrongdoing increases;
But the ^(KG)righteous will see their downfall.
^17 (KH)Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;
He will also ^[ed](KI)delight your soul.
¹⁸ Where there is ^(KJ)no ^[ee]vision, the people ^(KK)are unrestrained,
But ^(KL)happy is one who keeps the Law.
¹⁹ A slave will not be instructed by words alone;
For though he understands, there will be no response.
²⁰ Do you see a person who is ^(KM)hasty with his words?
There is ^(KN)more hope for a fool than for him.
²¹ One who pampers his slave from childhood
Will in the end find him to be rebellious.
²² An ^(KO)angry person stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered person abounds in wrongdoing.
²³ A person’s ^(KP)pride will bring him low,
But a ^(KQ)humble spirit will obtain honor.
²⁴ One who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;
He ^(KR)hears the oath but tells nothing.
²⁵ The ^(KS)fear of man ^[ef]brings a snare,
But one who ^(KT)trusts in the Lord will be protected.
^26 (KU)Many seek the ruler’s ^[eg]favor,
But ^(KV)justice for mankind comes from the Lord.
²⁷ An ^(KW)unjust person is an abomination to the righteous,
And one who is ^(KX)upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

² I am certainly more ^(KY)stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man;
³ Nor have I learned wisdom,
Nor do I have the ^(KZ)knowledge of the Holy One.
⁴ Who has ^(LA)ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the ^(LB)wind in His fists?
Who has ^(LC)wrapped the waters in ^[eh]His garment?
Who has ^(LD)established all the ends of the earth?
What is His ^(LE)name or His ^[ei]Son’s name?
Surely you know!

² What, my son?
And what, ^(MK)son of my womb?
And what, son of my ^(ML)vows?
^3 (MM)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which ^(MN)destroys kings.
⁴ It is not for ^(MO)kings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to ^(MP)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
⁵ Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^(MQ)pervert the ^[ew]rights of all the ^[ex]needy.
⁶ Give intoxicating drink to one who is ^(MR)perishing,
And wine to one ^[ey](MS)whose life is bitter.
⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
^8 (MT)Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the ^[ez]rights of all the ^[fa]unfortunate.
⁹ Open your mouth, ^(MU)judge righteously,
And ^[fb]defend the ^(MV)rights of the poor and needy.

¹⁰ An ^(MW)excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far ^(MX)above jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
¹³ She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her ^[fc]hands ^[fd]in delight.
¹⁴ She is like ^(MY)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ And she ^(MZ)rises while it is still night
And ^(NA)gives food to her household,
And ^[fe]portions to her attendants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
From ^[ff]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She ^(NB)surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the ^[fg]distaff,
And her ^[fh]hands grasp the spindle.
²⁰ She ^[fi](NC)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are ^(ND)clothed with scarlet.
²² She makes ^(NE)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is ^(NF)fine linen and ^(NG)purple.
²³ Her husband is known ^(NH)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes ^(NI)linen garments and sells them,
And ^[fj]supplies belts to the ^[fk]tradesmen.
²⁵ Strength and ^(NJ)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ^[fl]future.
²⁶ She ^(NK)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ^[fm]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the ^(NL)bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
²⁹ “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ^[fn](NM)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her the ^[fo]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.