Proverbs 22
World English Bible
22 A good name is more desirable than great riches,
and loving favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have this in common:
Yahweh is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man sees danger and hides himself;
but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
4 The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh
is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked:
whoever guards his soul stays from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 The rich rule over the poor.
The borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed;
for he shares his food with the poor.
10 Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out;
yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
11 He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully
is the king’s friend.
12 Yahweh’s eyes watch over knowledge;
but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit.
He who is under Yahweh’s wrath will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child:
the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich,
both come to poverty.
17 Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise.
Apply your heart to my teaching.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 I teach you today, even you,
So that your trust may be in Yahweh.
20 Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things
of counsel and knowledge,
21 To teach you truth, reliable words,
to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?
22 Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor;
and don’t crush the needy in court;
23 for Yahweh will plead their case,
and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
25 lest you learn his ways,
and ensnare your soul.
26 Don’t you be one of those who strike hands,
of those who are collateral for debts.
27 If you don’t have means to pay,
why should he take away your bed from under you?
28 Don’t move the ancient boundary stone
which your fathers have set up.
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will serve kings.
He won’t serve obscure men.
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.
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
King James Version
22 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
2 The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.
15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
23 For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.
27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.
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