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
New Living Translation
22 Choose a good reputation over great riches;
being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
2 The rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord made them both.
3 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
4 True humility and fear of the Lord
lead to riches, honor, and long life.
5 Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
whoever values life will avoid it.
6 Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.
7 Just as the rich rule the poor,
so the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
and their reign of terror will come to an end.[a]
9 Blessed are those who are generous,
because they feed the poor.
10 Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
Quarrels and insults will disappear.
11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
will have the king as a friend.
12 The Lord preserves those with knowledge,
but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.
13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there!
If I go outside, I might be killed!”
14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap;
those who make the Lord angry will fall into it.
15 A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness,
but physical discipline will drive it far away.
16 A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.
18 For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
and always ready on your lips.
19 I am teaching you today—yes, you—
so you will trust in the Lord.
20 I have written thirty sayings[b] for you,
filled with advice and knowledge.
21 In this way, you may know the truth
and take an accurate report to those who sent you.
22 Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
or exploit the needy in court.
23 For the Lord is their defender.
He will ruin anyone who ruins them.
24 Don’t befriend angry people
or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
and endanger your soul.
26 Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for someone else.
27 If you can’t pay it,
even your bed will be snatched from under you.
28 Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers
set up by previous generations.
29 Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
