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 Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
22 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.(A)
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 The clever see danger and hide,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is riches and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
the cautious will keep far from them.(B)
6 Train children in the right way,
and when old, they will not stray.(C)
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.(D)
8 Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of anger will fail.(E)
9 Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.(F)
10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
quarreling and abuse will cease.(G)
11 Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
will have the king as a friend.(H)
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of the faithless.(I)
13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”(J)
14 The mouth of a loose woman[a] is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline drives it far away.(K)
16 Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.
Sayings of the Wise
17 The words of the wise:
Incline your ear and hear my words[b]
and apply your mind to my teaching,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, yes, to you.(L)
20 Have I not written for you thirty[c] sayings
of admonition and knowledge,(M)
21 to show you what is right and true,
so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?(N)
22 Do not rob the poor because they are poor
or crush the afflicted at the gate,(O)
23 for the Lord pleads their cause
and despoils of life those who despoil them.(P)
24 Make no friends with those given to anger,
and do not associate with hotheads,
25 lest you learn their ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Do not be one of those who give pledges,
who become surety for debts.(Q)
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not remove the ancient landmark
that your ancestors set up.(R)
29 Do you see those who are skillful in their work?
They will serve kings;
they will not serve common people.(S)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.