Proverbs 22
Evangelical Heritage Version
Wise and Foolish Behaviors
22 A good name is worth more than great wealth.
Respect is worth more than silver and gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the maker of them all.
3 A sensible person sees trouble and hides,
but the naïve keep going and pay the penalty.
4 The outcome of humility and of the fear of the Lord
is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns and traps are on the road followed by the crooked.
Whoever guards his soul[a] will stay far away from them.
6 Dedicate[b] a child to the way he should go,
and even when he becomes old, he will not turn away from it.
7 A rich person rules over poor people,
and a borrower is a slave to a lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice reaps trouble,
and the rod that inflicts his fury will be destroyed.
9 A generous person will be blessed,
because he gives some of his food to the poor.
10 Drive away a scoffer, and conflict leaves.
Quarrels and insults cease.
11 A person who loves a pure heart and whose lips are gracious
will have a king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge.
He overturns the words of a treacherous person.
13 A lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be murdered in the streets!”
14 The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit.
The man who is under the Lord’s wrath will fall there.
15 Foolishness is bound tightly to a child’s heart.
A rod of discipline will drive it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to become great,
and whoever gives gifts to the rich—
both are sure to suffer loss.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Open your ears and listen to the words of the wise,
and set your heart on the knowledge that I offer,
18 for it is pleasant when you keep my words deep within you,[c]
and you have them ready on your lips.
19 Today I make my words known to you—yes, to you,
so that your trust will be in the Lord.
20 Have I not written to you already[d] with advice and knowledge,
21 in order to make accurate, true words known to you,
so that you may reply with true words to those who sent you?
22 Do not rob a poor person because he is poor,
and do not crush an oppressed person in court,[e]
23 because the Lord will defend their cause,
and he will rob those who rob them of their lives.
24 Do not be friends with a hothead.
Do not go along with someone who has a hot temper.
25 If you do, you will learn his ways
and set a trap for yourself.[f]
26 Do not be among those who shake hands to guarantee debts.
27 If you do not have enough to repay,
why should your bed be taken out from under you?
28 Do not move an ancient boundary marker
that your ancestors made.
29 Do you see a person who is efficient in his work?
He will serve kings.
He will not serve nobodies.[g]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:5 Or his life
- Proverbs 22:6 Or consecrate. The Hebrew word used here is not one of the usual words for teaching or training, but it is the same word used for dedicating a temple. It adds the connotation of entrusting the child to the Lord, as Hannah did.
- Proverbs 22:18 Literally in your belly
- Proverbs 22:20 The translation already follows the main Hebrew reading (literally the day before yesterday). An alternate Hebrew reading is Have I not written to you excellent sayings? Many recent English translations emend the text to read: Have I not written to you thirty wise sayings? This change is based on the belief that thirty sayings follow this heading. The supposed divisions between these thirty sayings are marked by spacer lines in the translation.
- Proverbs 22:22 Literally in the city gate
- Proverbs 22:25 Or for your soul
- Proverbs 22:29 Or unimportant people
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.
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.
4 The 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.
8 Whoever (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.
11 He who (Q)loves purity of heart,
and whose (R)speech is gracious, (S)will have the king as his friend.
12 The 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!”
14 The mouth of (V)forbidden[c] women is (W)a deep pit;
(X)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but (Y)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever 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,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
19 That your trust may be in the Lord,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.
20 Have I not written for you (AD)thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to (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,
23 for (AI)the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who (AJ)give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should (AK)your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient (AL)landmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do 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
Easy-to-Read Version
22 It is better to be respected than to be rich. A good name is worth more than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor are the same. The Lord made them all.
3 Wise people see trouble coming and get out of its way, but fools go straight to it and suffer for it.
4 Respect the Lord and be humble. Then you will have wealth, honor, and true life.
5 Evil people are trapped by many troubles, but those who want to live avoid them.
6 Teach children in a way that fits their needs, and even when they are old, they will not leave the right path.
7 The rich rule over the poor. The one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.
8 Those who spread trouble will harvest trouble. In the end, they will be destroyed for the trouble they caused.
9 Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor.
10 Get rid of the proud who laugh at what is right, and trouble will leave with them. All arguments and insults will end.
11 Love a pure heart and kind words, and the king will be your friend.
12 The Lord watches over true knowledge, and he opposes those who try to deceive others.
13 A person who is lazy and wants to stay home says, “There is a lion outside, and I might be killed in the streets!”
14 The sin of adultery is a trap, and the Lord gets very angry with those who fall into it.
15 Children do foolish things, but if you punish them, they will learn not to do them.
16 These two things will make you poor: hurting the poor to make yourself rich and giving gifts to the rich.
Thirty Wise Sayings
17 Listen carefully to these words from the wise. Pay attention to what I have learned. 18 It will be good for you to remember these words and have them ready when they are needed. 19 I will teach you these things now. I want you to trust the Lord. 20 I have written 30 sayings for you.[a] These are words of advice and wisdom. 21 They will teach you things that you can know for sure to be true. Then you can give good answers to the one who sent you.
— 1 —
22 It is easy to steal from the poor, but don’t do it. And don’t take advantage of them in court. 23 The Lord is on their side. He supports the poor, and he will take from those who take from them.
— 2 —
24 Don’t be friends with people who become angry easily. Don’t stay around quick-tempered people. 25 If you do, you may learn to be like them. Then you will have the same problems they do.
— 3 —
26 Don’t promise to pay someone else’s debt. 27 If you cannot pay, you will lose everything you have. So why should you lose the bed you sleep on?
— 4 —
28 Never move an old property line that was marked long ago by your ancestors.
— 5 —
29 Skilled workers will always serve kings. They will never have to work for less important people.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:20 I have … for you Or “I wrote this for you earlier.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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