Proverbs 22

New International Version

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.^(A)

²Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.^(B)

³The prudent see danger and take refuge,^(C)
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.^(D)

⁴Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor^(E) and life.^(F)

⁵In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,^(G)
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶Start^(H) children off on the way they should go,^(I)
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.^(J)

⁷The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,^(K)
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.^(L)

⁹The generous will themselves be blessed,^(M)
for they share their food with the poor.^(N)

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.^(O)

¹¹One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.^(P)

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!^(Q)
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

¹⁴The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;^(R)
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.^(S)

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.^(T)

¹⁶One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

¹⁷Pay attention^(U) and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;^(V)
    apply your heart to what I teach,^(W)
¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
    and have all of them ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,
    I teach you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
    sayings of counsel and knowledge,
²¹teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,^(X)
    so that you bring back truthful reports
    to those you serve?

Saying 2

²²Do not exploit the poor^(Y) because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,^(Z)
²³for the Lord will take up their case^(AA)
and will exact life for life.^(AB)

Saying 3

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
²⁵or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.^(AC)

Saying 4

²⁶Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge^(AD)
or puts up security for debts;
²⁷if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.^(AE)

Saying 5

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone^(AF)
set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

²⁹Do you see someone skilled^(AG) in their work?
They will serve^(AH) before kings;^(AI)
they will not serve before officials of low rank.

Proverbs 22

New King James Version

The Value of a Good Name

22 A ^(A)good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

²The ^(B)rich and the poor have this in common,
The ^(C)Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are ^(D)punished.

⁴By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

⁶^(E)Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The ^(F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows iniquity will reap ^(G)sorrow,^[b]
And the rod of his anger will fail.

⁹^(H)He who has a ^[c]generous eye will be ^(I)blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

¹⁰^(J)Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

¹¹^(K)He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

¹³^(L)The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!”

¹⁴^(M)The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
^(N)He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
^(O)The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
²¹^(P)That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
^(Q)That you may answer words of truth
To those who ^[d]send to you?

²²Do not rob the ^(R)poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
²³^(S)For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a ^(T)furious man do not go,
²⁵Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

²⁶^(U)Do not be one of those who ^[e]shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is ^[f]surety for debts;
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸^(V)Do not remove the ancient ^[g]landmark
Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man who ^[h]excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before ^[i]unknown men.

Footnotes

Proverbs 22:6 Even
Proverbs 22:8 trouble
Proverbs 22:9 Lit. good
Proverbs 22:21 Or send you
Proverbs 22:26 Lit. strikes
Proverbs 22:26 guaranty
Proverbs 22:28 boundary
Proverbs 22:29 is prompt in his business
Proverbs 22:29 obscure

Proverbs 22

Good News Translation

22 If you have to choose between a good reputation and great wealth, choose a good reputation.

²The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord made them both.

³Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.

⁴Obey the Lord, be humble, and you will get riches, honor, and a long life.

⁵If you love your life, stay away from the traps that catch the wicked along the way.

⁶^(A)Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life.

⁷Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave.

⁸If you plant the seeds of injustice, disaster will spring up, and your oppression of others will end.

⁹Be generous and share your food with the poor. You will be blessed for it.

¹⁰Get rid of a conceited person, and then there will be no more arguments, quarreling, or name-calling.

¹¹If you love purity of heart and graciousness of speech, the king will be your friend.

¹²The Lord sees to it that truth is kept safe by disproving the words of liars.

¹³Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.

¹⁴Adultery is a trap—it catches those with whom the Lord is angry.

¹⁵Children just naturally do silly, careless things, but a good spanking will teach them how to behave.

¹⁶If you make gifts to rich people or oppress the poor to get rich, you will become poor yourself.

The Thirty Wise Sayings

¹⁷Listen, and I will teach you what the wise have said. Study their teachings, ¹⁸and you will be glad if you remember them and can quote them. ¹⁹I want you to put your trust in the Lord; that is why I am going to tell them to you now. ²⁰I have written down thirty sayings for you. They contain knowledge and good advice, ²¹and will teach you what the truth really is. Then when you are sent to find it out, you will bring back the right answer.

-1-

²²Don't take advantage of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand helpless in court. ²³The Lord will argue their case for them and threaten the life of anyone who threatens theirs.

-2-

²⁴Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. ²⁵You might learn their habits and not be able to change.

-3-

²⁶Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. ²⁷If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.

-4-

²⁸Never move an old property line that your ancestors established.

-5-

²⁹Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.

Proverbs 22

The Message

The Cure Comes Through Discipline

22 A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich;
a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.

²The rich and the poor shake hands as equals—
God made them both!

³A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks;
a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.

⁴The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God
is plenty and honor and a satisfying life.

⁵The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick;
if you know what’s good for you, stay clear of it.

⁶Point your kids in the right direction—
when they’re old they won’t be lost.

⁷The poor are always ruled over by the rich,
so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power.

⁸Whoever sows sin reaps weeds,
and bullying anger sputters into nothing.

⁹Generous hands are blessed hands
because they give bread to the poor.

¹⁰Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down;
you need a break from bickering and griping!

¹¹God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken;
good leaders also delight in their friendship.

¹²God guards knowledge with a passion,
but he’ll have nothing to do with deception.

¹³The loafer says, “There’s a lion on the loose!
If I go out I’ll be eaten alive!”

¹⁴The mouth of a prostitute is a bottomless pit;
you’ll fall in that pit if you’re on the outs with God.

¹⁵Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;
the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

¹⁶Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever,
you’ll end up the poorer for it.

The Thirty Precepts of the Sages

Don’t Move Back the Boundary Lines

^17-21Listen carefully to my wisdom;
    take to heart what I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
    you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
    I’m laying it all out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—
    tested guidelines to live by.
Believe me—these are truths that work,
    and will keep you accountable
    to those who sent you.

1

^22-23Don’t walk on the poor just because they’re poor,
and don’t use your position to crush the weak,
Because God will come to their defense;
the life you took, he’ll take from you and give back to them.

2

^24-25Don’t hang out with angry people;
don’t keep company with hotheads.
Bad temper is contagious—
don’t get infected.

3

^26-27Don’t gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,
pawning your house against a lucky chance.
The time will come when you have to pay up;
you’ll be left with nothing but the shirt on your back.

4

²⁸Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines
staked out long ago by your ancestors.

5

²⁹Observe people who are good at their work—
skilled workers are always in demand and admired;
they don’t take a backseat to anyone.

Proverbs 22

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.^(A)
²The rich and the poor have this in common:
    the Lord is the maker of them all.
³The clever see danger and hide,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is riches and honor and life.
⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
    the cautious will keep far from them.^(B)
⁶Train children in the right way,
    and when old, they will not stray.^(C)
⁷The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.^(D)
⁸Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and the rod of anger will fail.^(E)
⁹Those who are generous are blessed,
    for they share their bread with the poor.^(F)
¹⁰Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
    quarreling and abuse will cease.^(G)
¹¹Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
    will have the king as a friend.^(H)
¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he overthrows the words of the faithless.^(I)
¹³The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”^(J)
¹⁴The mouth of a loose woman^[a] is a deep pit;
    he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline drives it far away.^(K)
¹⁶Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
    and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷ The words of the wise:

Incline your ear and hear my words^[b]
    and apply your mind to my teaching,
¹⁸for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,
    I have made them known to you today, yes, to you.^(L)
²⁰Have I not written for you thirty^[c] sayings
    of admonition and knowledge,^(M)
²¹to show you what is right and true,
    so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?^(N)

²²Do not rob the poor because they are poor
    or crush the afflicted at the gate,^(O)
²³for the Lord pleads their cause
    and despoils of life those who despoil them.^(P)
²⁴Make no friends with those given to anger,
    and do not associate with hotheads,
²⁵lest you learn their ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare.
²⁶Do not be one of those who give pledges,
    who become surety for debts.^(Q)
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
    why should your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸Do not remove the ancient landmark
    that your ancestors set up.^(R)
²⁹Do you see those who are skillful in their work?
    They will serve kings;
    they will not serve common people.^(S)

Footnotes

22.14 Heb strange woman
22.17 Cn Compare Gk: Heb Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise
22.20 Cn: Heb in the past or noble

New International Version (NIV)