Proverbs 22
Holman Christian Standard Bible
22 A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
favor is better than silver and gold.(A)
3 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,
but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(C)
4 The result of humility is fear of the Lord,
along with wealth, honor, and life.(D)
5 There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked;(E)
the one who guards himself stays far from them.
6 Teach a youth about the way he should go;(F)
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
8 The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,(I)
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
11 The one who loves a pure heart
and gracious lips—the king is his friend.(N)
12 The Lord’s eyes keep watch over knowledge,
but He overthrows the words of the treacherous.
13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”(O)
14 The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.(P)
15 Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth;
the rod of discipline will drive it away from him.(Q)
16 Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.(R)
Words of the Wise
17 Listen closely,[d] pay attention to the words of the wise,(S)
and apply your mind to my knowledge.
18 For it is pleasing if you keep them within you
and if[e] they are constantly on your lips.
19 I have instructed you today—even you—
so that your confidence may be in the Lord.
20 Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings[f]
about counsel and knowledge,
21 in order to teach you true and reliable words,
so that you may give a dependable report[g](T)
to those who sent you?(U)
22 Don’t rob a poor man because he is poor,
and don’t crush the oppressed(V) at the gate,(W)
23 for the Lord will take up their case(X)
and will plunder those who plunder them.
24 Don’t make friends with an angry man,[h]
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered man,(Y)
25 or you will learn his ways(Z)
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,[i]
who put up security for loans.(AA)
27 If you have no money to pay,
even your bed will be taken from under you.(AB)
28 Don’t move an ancient boundary marker
that your fathers set up.(AC)
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand in the presence of kings.
He will not stand in the presence of unknown men.(AD)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:2 Lit poor meet
- Proverbs 22:2 Lit all
- Proverbs 22:9 Lit Good of eye
- Proverbs 22:17 Lit Stretch out your ear
- Proverbs 22:18 Or you; let them be, or you, so that
- Proverbs 22:20 Text emended; one Hb tradition reads you previously; alt Hb tradition reads you excellent things; LXX, Syr, Vg read you three times
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit give dependable words
- Proverbs 22:24 Lit with a master of anger
- Proverbs 22:26 Lit who shakes hands
Proverbs 22
Lexham English Bible
22 A reputation[a] is to be chosen rather than[b] great riches;
favor is better than silver and gold.[c]
2 Rich and poor have much in common;
Yahweh is the maker of all of them.
3 The clever sees danger and hides,
but the simple go on and suffer.
4 The reward of humility is the fear of Yahweh—
wealth and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
he who guards himself[d] will keep away from them.
6 Train the child concerning his way;[e]
even when he is old, he will not stray from it.
7 The rich will rule over the poor,
and the borrower is a slave of the lender.[f]
8 He who sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of his anger will fail.
9 He who is generous[g] will be blessed,
for he gives to the poor from his own bread.
10 Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out;
quarrel and abuse will cease.
11 He who loves purity of heart
and hasgracious speech,[h] his friend is the king.
12 The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge,
but he will overthrow the words of the faithless.
13 A lazy person says “A lion in the street!
In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!”
14 A deep pit is the mouth of an adulteress,[i]
he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart[j] of a boy;[k]
the rod of discipline will drive it[l] from him.
16 He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself,
or gives to the rich, will come to poverty.[m]
Words of the Wise
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise;
you shall apply your heart[n] to my teaching.
18 For it is pleasant if you guard them within you;[o]
together they will be ready upon your lips.
19 In order for your trust to be in Yahweh,
I have made them known to you today[p]—even[q] you.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings
with admonitions and knowledge?
21 In order to show you what is right—sayings of truth—
in order to return a true saying to him who sent you.
22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For Yahweh will plead their case
and despoil those who despoil them of life.[r]
24 Do not befriend an owner[s] of anger,[t]
and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;
25 lest you learn his way
and become entangled in a snare to yourself.[u]
26 Do not be with those who give a pledge[v]
by becoming[w] surety.
27 If there is nothing for you to pay,[x]
why will he take your bed from under you?
28 Do not remove an ancient boundary marker
which your ancestors[y] made.
29 A man who is skillful in his work, you shall see:
before kings, he will serve;
he will not serve before the commoners.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:1 Literally “name”
- Proverbs 22:1 Literally “from”
- Proverbs 22:1 Literally “from silver and from gold, favor is better”
- Proverbs 22:5 Or “soul,” or “life”
- Proverbs 22:6 Literally “on the mouth of his way”
- Proverbs 22:7 Literally “the borrower belonging to a man”
- Proverbs 22:9 Literally “the generous of eye”
- Proverbs 22:11 Literally “grace of his lips”
- Proverbs 22:14 Literally “a strange woman”
- Proverbs 22:15 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 22:15 Or “young man,” or “adolescent”
- Proverbs 22:15 That is, folly
- Proverbs 22:16 Literally “only loss”
- Proverbs 22:17 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 22:18 Literally “in your belly/womb”
- Proverbs 22:19 Literally “the day”
- Proverbs 22:19 Or “only”
- Proverbs 22:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 22:24 Or “master”
- Proverbs 22:24 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 22:25 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 22:26 Literally “strike a hand”
- Proverbs 22:26 Literally “in the becomings of”
- Proverbs 22:27 Or “complete”
- Proverbs 22:28 Or “fathers”
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