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
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.
3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are (D)punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.
7 The (F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.
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.
12 The 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.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
(O)The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
20 Have 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?
22 Do 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.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a (T)furious man do not go,
25 Lest 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;
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?
29 Do 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
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
