Proverbs 22

New International Version

22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.^(A)

²Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.^(B)

³The prudent see danger and take refuge,^(C)
but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.^(D)

⁴Humility is the fear of the Lord;
its wages are riches and honor^(E) and life.^(F)

⁵In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,^(G)
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶Start^(H) children off on the way they should go,^(I)
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.^(J)

⁷The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,^(K)
and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.^(L)

⁹The generous will themselves be blessed,^(M)
for they share their food with the poor.^(N)

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
quarrels and insults are ended.^(O)

¹¹One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
will have the king for a friend.^(P)

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!^(Q)
I’ll be killed in the public square!”

¹⁴The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;^(R)
a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.^(S)

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.^(T)

¹⁶One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

¹⁷Pay attention^(U) and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;^(V)
    apply your heart to what I teach,^(W)
¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
    and have all of them ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,
    I teach you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
    sayings of counsel and knowledge,
²¹teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,^(X)
    so that you bring back truthful reports
    to those you serve?

Saying 2

²²Do not exploit the poor^(Y) because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,^(Z)
²³for the Lord will take up their case^(AA)
and will exact life for life.^(AB)

Saying 3

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
do not associate with one easily angered,
²⁵or you may learn their ways
and get yourself ensnared.^(AC)

Saying 4

²⁶Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge^(AD)
or puts up security for debts;
²⁷if you lack the means to pay,
your very bed will be snatched from under you.^(AE)

Saying 5

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone^(AF)
set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

²⁹Do you see someone skilled^(AG) in their work?
They will serve^(AH) before kings;^(AI)
they will not serve before officials of low rank.

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

Proverbs 22

New American Standard Bible

On Life and Conduct

22 A ^(A)good name is to be more desired than great wealth;
Favor is better than silver and gold.
²The rich and the poor ^[a]have a common bond,
The Lord is the ^(B)Maker of them all.
³A ^(C)prudent person sees evil and hides himself,
But the naive proceed, and pay the penalty.
⁴The reward of humility and ^[b]the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor, and life.
⁵^(D)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.
⁶^(E)Train up a child ^[c]in the way he should go,
Even when he grows older he will not abandon it.
⁷The ^(F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
⁸One who ^(G)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the ^(H)rod of his fury will perish.
⁹One who ^[d]is ^(I)generous will be blessed,
Because he ^(J)gives some of his food to the poor.
¹⁰^(K)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.
¹¹One who loves ^(L)purity of heart
And ^[e]whose speech is ^(M)gracious, the king is his friend.
¹²The eyes of the Lord protect knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous person.
¹³The ^[f]^(N)lazy one says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴The mouth of ^[g]^(O)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is ^(P)cursed of the Lord will fall ^[h]into it.
¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The ^(Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
¹⁶One ^(R)who oppresses the poor to make ^[i]more for himself,
Or gives to the rich, ^(S)will only come to poverty.

¹⁷^(T)Extend your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
¹⁸For it will be ^(U)pleasant if you keep them within you,
^[j]So that they may be ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your ^(V)trust may be in the Lord,
I have ^[k]taught you today, you indeed.
²⁰Have I not written to you ^[l]^(W)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
²¹To make you ^(X)know the ^[m]certainty of the words of truth,
So that you may ^[n]^(Y)correctly answer him who sent you?

²²^(Z)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor ^(AA)crush the needy at the gate;
²³For the Lord will ^(AB)plead their case
And ^[o]take the life of those who rob them.

²⁴Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a ^(AC)hot-tempered person,
²⁵Or you will ^(AD)learn his ways
And ^[p]find a snare for yourself.

²⁶Do not be among those who ^(AE)shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
²⁷If you have nothing with which to repay,
Why should he ^(AF)take your bed from under you?

²⁸^(AG)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a person skilled in his work?
He will ^(AH)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure people.

Footnotes

Proverbs 22:2 Lit meet together
Proverbs 22:4 Or reverence for
Proverbs 22:6 Lit according to his way
Proverbs 22:9 Lit has a good eye
Proverbs 22:11 Lit has grace on his lips
Proverbs 22:13 Lit idle
Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
Proverbs 22:14 Lit there
Proverbs 22:16 Lit much
Proverbs 22:18 Lit They together
Proverbs 22:19 Lit made you know
Proverbs 22:20 Or previous
Proverbs 22:21 Lit truth
Proverbs 22:21 Lit return words of truth
Proverbs 22:23 Lit rob the soul
Proverbs 22:25 Lit take

Proverbs 22

Common English Bible

22 A good reputation is better than much wealth;
    high esteem is better than silver and gold.
²The rich and the poor have this in common:
    the Lord made them both.
³Prudent people see trouble and hide,
    while the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.
⁴The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
    is wealth, honor, and life.
⁵Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked;
    those who guard their lives keep their distance.
⁶Train children in the way they should go;
    when they grow old, they won’t depart from it.
⁷The wealthy rule over the poor;
    a borrower is a slave to a lender.
⁸Those who sow injustice will harvest evil;
    the rod of their fury will come to an end.
⁹Happy are generous people,
    because they give some of their food to the poor.
¹⁰Remove the mocker and conflict disappears;
    judgment and shame also stop.
¹¹Those who love a pure heart—
    their speech is gracious, and the king is their friend.
¹²The Lord’s eyes protect knowledge,
    but he frustrates the words of the treacherous.
¹³A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the street!
    I’ll be killed in the town square!”
¹⁴The mouth of a mysterious woman is a deep pit;
    those under the Lord’s wrath will fall in it.
¹⁵Folly is bound up in a child’s heart;
    the rod of discipline removes it.
¹⁶Oppressing the poor to get rich
    and giving to the wealthy lead only to poverty.

Thirty sayings of the wise

¹⁷Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise;
    focus your mind on my knowledge.
¹⁸    It will be pleasant if you keep the words in you,
    if you have them ready on your lips.
¹⁹So that your trust will be in the Lord,
    I’m teaching you today—yes, you.
²⁰Haven’t I written for you thirty^[a] sayings
    full of advice and knowledge?
²¹Their purpose is to teach you true, reliable words,
    so you can report back reliably to those who sent you.

²²Don’t steal from the poor, because they are poor.
Don’t oppress the needy in the gate.
²³The Lord will take up their case
and press the life out of those who oppress them.^[b]

²⁴Don’t befriend people controlled by anger;
    don’t associate with hot-tempered people;
²⁵    otherwise, you will learn their ways
    and become trapped.

²⁶Don’t shake hands to guarantee a loan.
²⁷If you can’t repay,
why should they be able to take your bed from you?

²⁸Don’t remove an ancient boundary marker
that your ancestors established.

²⁹Do you see people who work skillfully?
They will work for kings
but not work for lowly people.

Footnotes

Proverbs 22:20 Heb uncertain
Proverbs 22:23 Heb uncertain

Proverbs 22

Contemporary English Version

The Value of a Good Reputation

22 A good reputation and respect
are worth much more
    than silver and gold.
²The rich and the poor
are all created
    by the Lord.
³When you see trouble coming,
    don't be stupid
and walk right into it—
    be smart and hide.

⁴Respect and serve the Lord!
Your reward will be wealth,
    a long life, and honor.
⁵Crooks walk down a road
full of thorny traps.
    Stay away from there!
⁶^(A) Teach your children
    right from wrong,
and when they are grown
    they will still do right.
⁷The poor are ruled by the rich,
and those who borrow
    are slaves of moneylenders.
⁸Troublemakers get in trouble,
and their terrible anger
    will get them nowhere.

⁹The Lord blesses everyone
who freely gives food
    to the poor.
¹⁰Arguments and fights
    will come to an end,
if you chase away those
    who insult others.
¹¹The king is the friend of all
who are sincere
    and speak with kindness.

¹²The Lord watches over everyone
    who shows good sense,
but he frustrates the plans
    of deceitful liars.
¹³Don't be so lazy that you say,
“If I go to work,
    a lion will eat me!”
¹⁴The words of a bad woman
    are like a deep pit;
if you make the Lord angry,
    you will fall right in.
¹⁵All children are foolish,
but firm correction
    will make them change.
¹⁶Cheat the poor to make profit
or give gifts to the rich—
    either way you lose.

Thirty Wise Sayings

¹⁷Here are some sayings
    of people with wisdom,
so listen carefully
    as I teach.
¹⁸You will be glad
that you know these sayings
    and can recite them.
¹⁹I am teaching them today,
so that you
    may trust the Lord.
²⁰I have written thirty sayings
    filled with sound advice.
²¹You can trust them completely
to give you the right words
    for those in charge of you.

–1–

²²Don't take advantage
of the poor
or cheat them in court.
²³The Lord is their defender,
and what you do to them,
he will do to you.

–2–

²⁴Don't make friends with anyone
who has a bad temper.
²⁵You might turn out like them
and get caught in a trap.

–3–

²⁶Don't guarantee to pay
someone else's debt.
²⁷If you don't have the money,
you might lose your bed.

–4–

²⁸Don't move a boundary marker^[a]
set up by your ancestors.

–5–

²⁹If you do your job well,
you will work for a ruler
and never be a slave.

Footnotes

22.28 marker: In ancient Israel boundary lines were sacred because all property was a gift from the Lord (see Deuteronomy 19.14).

New International Version (NIV)