Proverbs 22
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Is the Maker of All
22 A (A)good name is to be chosen over great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor meet together in this—
Yahweh is the (B)Maker of them all.
3 A (C)prudent man sees evil and hides,
But the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 The reward of humility—the [a]fear of Yahweh—
Is riches, glory, and life.
5 (D)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
He who keeps his soul will be far from them.
6 [b](E)Train up a child [c]according to his way,
Even when he is old he will not [d]depart from it.
7 The (F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 He who (G)sows unrighteousness will reap iniquity,
And the (H)rod of his fury will end.
9 He who [e]is (I)generous will be blessed,
For he (J)gives from his food to the poor.
10 (K)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will go out,
Even contention and disgrace will cease.
11 He who loves (L)purity of heart
And (M)grace on his lips, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of Yahweh guard knowledge,
But He subverts the words of the treacherous one.
13 The (N)sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of (O)strange women is a deep pit;
He who is (P)cursed of Yahweh will fall [f]into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child;
The (Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 He (R)who oppresses the poor to make [g]more for himself
Or who gives to the rich (S)will only come to lack.
17 (T)Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And set your heart on my knowledge;
18 For it will be (U)pleasant if you keep them within you,
[h]That they may be established on your lips.
19 So that your (V)trust may be in Yahweh,
I have made you know today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you [i](W)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you (X)know the veracity of the words of truth
That you may [j](Y)respond with the words of truth to him who sent you?
22 (Z)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
And do not (AA)crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For Yahweh will (AB)plead their case
And rob the soul of those who rob them.
24 Do not befriend a man of anger;
And do not come along with a man of (AC)great wrath,
25 Lest you (AD)learn his ways
And take on a snare against your soul.
26 Do not be among those who (AE)strike [k]hands in pledge,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he (AF)take your bed from under you?
28 (AG)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers made.
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will (AH)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:4 Or reverence
- Proverbs 22:6 Lit Dedicate
- Proverbs 22:6 Or in the way he should go, according to his own way
- Proverbs 22:6 Lit turn away
- Proverbs 22:9 Lit has a good eye
- Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
- Proverbs 22:16 Lit much
- Proverbs 22:18 Lit They together
- Proverbs 22:20 Lit thirty sayings
- Proverbs 22:21 Lit return
- Proverbs 22:26 Lit palms
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
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