Proverbs 22:17-24:22

New International Version

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

²² Do not exploit the poor^(E) because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,^(F)
23 for the Lord will take up their case^(G)
    and will exact life for life.^(H)

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

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

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

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

23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
    note well what^[a] is before you,
² and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to gluttony.
³ Do not crave his delicacies,^(P)
    for that food is deceptive.

⁴ Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
    do not trust your own cleverness.
⁵ Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,^(Q)
    for they will surely sprout wings
    and fly off to the sky like an eagle.^(R)

⁶ Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;^(S)
7 for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.^[b]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
⁸ You will vomit up the little you have eaten
    and will have wasted your compliments.

⁹ Do not speak to fools,
    for they will scorn your prudent words.^(T)

¹⁰ Do not move an ancient boundary stone^(U)
    or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
¹¹ for their Defender^(V) is strong;^(W)
    he will take up their case against you.^(X)

¹² Apply your heart to instruction^(Y)
    and your ears to words of knowledge.

¹³ Do not withhold discipline from a child;
    if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
¹⁴ Punish them with the rod
    and save them from death.^(Z)

¹⁵ My son, if your heart is wise,
    then my heart will be glad indeed;
¹⁶ my inmost being will rejoice
    when your lips speak what is right.^(AA)

¹⁷ Do not let your heart envy^(AB) sinners,
    but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.
¹⁸ There is surely a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.^(AC)

¹⁹ Listen, my son,^(AD) and be wise,
    and set your heart on the right path:
²⁰ Do not join those who drink too much wine^(AE)
    or gorge themselves on meat,
²¹ for drunkards and gluttons become poor,^(AF)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

²² Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.^(AG)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.^(AH)
24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.^(AI)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!^(AJ)

²⁶ My son,^(AK) give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,^(AL)
27 for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,^(AM)
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
²⁸ Like a bandit she lies in wait^(AN)
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

²⁹ Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
    Who has strife? Who has complaints?
    Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
³⁰ Those who linger over wine,^(AO)
    who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
³¹ Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup,
    when it goes down smoothly!
³² In the end it bites like a snake
    and poisons like a viper.
³³ Your eyes will see strange sights,
    and your mind will imagine confusing things.
³⁴ You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
    lying on top of the rigging.
³⁵ “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
    They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
    so I can find another drink?”^(AP)

24 Do not envy^(AQ) the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
² for their hearts plot violence,^(AR)
    and their lips talk about making trouble.^(AS)

³ By wisdom a house is built,^(AT)
    and through understanding it is established;
⁴ through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.^(AU)

⁵ The wise prevail through great power,
    and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
⁶ Surely you need guidance to wage war,
    and victory is won through many advisers.^(AV)

⁷ Wisdom is too high for fools;
    in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

⁸ Whoever plots evil
    will be known as a schemer.
⁹ The schemes of folly are sin,
    and people detest a mocker.

¹⁰ If you falter in a time of trouble,
    how small is your strength!^(AW)
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.^(AX)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs^(AY) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay^(AZ) everyone according to what they have done?^(BA)

¹³ Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
    honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
¹⁴ Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:
    If you find it, there is a future hope for you,
    and your hope will not be cut off.^(BB)

¹⁵ Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,
    do not plunder their dwelling place;
¹⁶ for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
    but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.^(BC)

¹⁷ Do not gloat^(BD) when your enemy falls;
    when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,^(BE)
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
    and turn his wrath away from them.^(BF)

¹⁹ Do not fret^(BG) because of evildoers
    or be envious of the wicked,
²⁰ for the evildoer has no future hope,
    and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.^(BH)

²¹ Fear the Lord and the king,^(BI) my son,
    and do not join with rebellious officials,
²² for those two will send sudden destruction^(BJ) on them,
    and who knows what calamities they can bring?