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”
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.
4 The 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.
8 Whoever (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.
11 He who (Q)loves purity of heart,
and whose (R)speech is gracious, (S)will have the king as his friend.
12 The 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!”
14 The mouth of (V)forbidden[c] women is (W)a deep pit;
(X)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but (Y)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever 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,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you (AD)thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to (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,
23 for (AI)the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who (AJ)give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should (AK)your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient (AL)landmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do 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
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
