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

English Standard Version

22 ^(A)A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.
²^(B)The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is ^(C)the Maker of them all.
³^(D)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is ^(E)riches and honor and life.^[a]
⁵^(F)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
    whoever ^(G)guards his soul will keep far from them.
⁶^(H)Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.
⁷^(I)The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸Whoever ^(J)sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and ^(K)the rod of his fury will fail.
⁹^(L)Whoever has a bountiful^[b] eye will be blessed,
    for he ^(M)shares his bread with the poor.
¹⁰^(N)Drive out a scoffer, ^(O)and strife will go out,
    and ^(P)quarreling and abuse will cease.
¹¹He who ^(Q)loves purity of heart,
    and whose ^(R)speech is gracious, ^(S)will have the king as his friend.
¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he ^(T)overthrows the words of the traitor.
¹³^(U)The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴The mouth of ^(V)forbidden^[c] women is ^(W)a deep pit;
    ^(X)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but ^(Y)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, ^(Z)will only come to poverty.

Words of the Wise

¹⁷^(AA)Incline your ear, and hear ^(AB)the words of the wise,
    ^(AC)and apply your heart to my knowledge,
¹⁸for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord,
    I have made them known to you today, even to you.
²⁰Have I not written for you ^(AD)thirty sayings
    of counsel and knowledge,
²¹to ^(AE)make you know what is right and true,
    that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

²²^(AF)Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
    or ^(AG)crush the afflicted at ^(AH)the gate,
²³for ^(AI)the Lord will plead their cause
    and rob of life those who rob them.
²⁴Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
    nor go with a wrathful man,
²⁵lest you learn his ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare.
²⁶Be not one of those who ^(AJ)give pledges,
    who put up security for debts.
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
    why should ^(AK)your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸Do not move the ancient ^(AL)landmark
    that your fathers have set.
²⁹Do you see a man skillful in his work?
    He will ^(AM)stand before kings;
    he will not stand before obscure men.

Footnotes

Proverbs 22:4 Or The reward for humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and honor and life
Proverbs 22:9 Hebrew good
Proverbs 22:14 Hebrew strange

Proverbs 22

New Century Version

22 Being respected is more important than having great riches.
To be well thought of is better than silver or gold.

²The rich and the poor are alike
in that the Lord made them all.

³The wise see danger ahead and avoid it,
but fools keep going and get into trouble.

⁴Respecting the Lord and not being proud
will bring you wealth, honor, and life.

⁵Evil people’s lives are like paths covered with thorns and traps.
People who guard themselves don’t have such problems.

⁶Train children to live the right way,
and when they are old, they will not stray from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,
and borrowers are servants to lenders.

⁸Those who plan evil will receive trouble.
Their cruel anger will come to an end.

⁹Generous people will be blessed,
because they share their food with the poor.

¹⁰Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom.
Then fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop.

¹¹Whoever loves pure thoughts and kind words
will have even the king as a friend.

¹²The Lord guards knowledge,
but he destroys false words.

¹³The lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside!
I might get killed out in the street!”

¹⁴The words of an unfaithful wife are like a deep trap.
Those who make the Lord angry will get caught by them.

¹⁵Every child is full of foolishness,
but punishment can get rid of it.

¹⁶Whoever gets rich by mistreating the poor,
and gives presents to the wealthy, will become poor.

Other Wise Sayings

¹⁷Listen carefully to what wise people say;
    pay attention to what I am teaching you.
¹⁸It will be good to keep these things in mind
    so that you are ready to repeat them.
¹⁹I am teaching them to you now
    so that you will put your trust in the Lord.
²⁰I have written thirty sayings for you,
    which give knowledge and good advice.
²¹I am teaching you true and reliable words
    so that you can give true answers to anyone who asks.

²²Do not abuse poor people because they are poor,
and do not take away the rights of the needy in court.
²³The Lord will defend them in court
and will take the life of those who take away their rights.

²⁴Don’t make friends with quick-tempered people
or spend time with those who have bad tempers.
²⁵If you do, you will be like them.
Then you will be in real danger.

²⁶Don’t promise to pay what someone else owes,
and don’t guarantee anyone’s loan.
²⁷If you cannot pay the loan,
your own bed may be taken right out from under you.

²⁸Don’t move an old stone that marks a border,
because those stones were set up by your ancestors.

²⁹Do you see people skilled in their work?
They will work for kings, not for ordinary people.

New International Version (NIV)