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

Revised Geneva Translation

22 A good name is to be chosen above great riches. And loving favor is above silver and above gold.

²The rich and poor meet together, the LORD the maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees the plague and hides himself. But the foolish go on still, and are punished.

⁴The reward of humility and the fear of God is riches and glory and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse. But he who guards his soul will depart far from them.

⁶Teach a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it.

⁷The rich rules the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows iniquity shall reap affliction. And the rod of his anger shall fail.

⁹He who has a generous eye shall be blessed, for he gives his bread to the poor.

¹⁰Cast out the scoffer, and strife shall go out. Indeed, contention and dishonor shall cease.

¹¹He who loves pureness of heart shall the king befriend, because of the grace of his lips.

¹²The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge. But He overthrows the words of the transgressor.

¹³The slothful says, “A lion is outside. I shall be killed in the street.”

¹⁴The mouth of strange women is as a deep pit. He with whom the LORD is angry shall fall therein.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. But the rod of correction shall drive it away from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor for his own gain, giving to the rich, shall surely come to poverty.

¹⁷Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge.

¹⁸For it shall be pleasant if you keep them in your core; and if they are set together on your lips.

¹⁹That your confidence may be in the LORD, I have shown you this day. Yes, you.

²⁰Have I not written to you before in counsels and knowledge,

²¹that I might show you the assurance of the words of truth; and to answer words of truth to those who have sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because he is poor; nor oppress the afflicted in the gate.

²³For the LORD will defend their cause and spoil the soul of those who spoil them.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man, nor go with the furious man,

²⁵lest you learn his ways and receive destruction to your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who shakes hands in pledges; nor among those who are surety for debts.

²⁷If you have nothing to pay, why should he take your bed from under you?

²⁸You shall not remove the ancient boundaries which your fathers have made.

²⁹You see that a man who is diligent in his business stands before kings; and does not stand before the lowly.

Proverbs 22

New King James Version

The Value of a Good Name

22 A ^(A)good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

²The ^(B)rich and the poor have this in common,
The ^(C)Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are ^(D)punished.

⁴By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

⁶^(E)Train up a child in the way he should go,
^[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The ^(F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows iniquity will reap ^(G)sorrow,^[b]
And the rod of his anger will fail.

⁹^(H)He who has a ^[c]generous eye will be ^(I)blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

¹⁰^(J)Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

¹¹^(K)He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

¹³^(L)The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!”

¹⁴^(M)The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
^(N)He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
^(O)The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

¹⁶He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
²¹^(P)That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
^(Q)That you may answer words of truth
To those who ^[d]send to you?

²²Do not rob the ^(R)poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
²³^(S)For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a ^(T)furious man do not go,
²⁵Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

²⁶^(U)Do not be one of those who ^[e]shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is ^[f]surety for debts;
²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸^(V)Do not remove the ancient ^[g]landmark
Which your fathers have set.

²⁹Do you see a man who ^[h]excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before ^[i]unknown men.

Footnotes

Proverbs 22:6 Even
Proverbs 22:8 trouble
Proverbs 22:9 Lit. good
Proverbs 22:21 Or send you
Proverbs 22:26 Lit. strikes
Proverbs 22:26 guaranty
Proverbs 22:28 boundary
Proverbs 22:29 is prompt in his business
Proverbs 22:29 obscure

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

New International Version (NIV)