Proverbs 22

¹A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common:

the Lord is the maker of them all.

³The clever see danger and hide;

but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

⁴The reward for humility and fear of the Lord

is riches and honor and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;

the cautious will keep far from them.

⁶Train children in the right way,

and when old, they will not stray.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of anger will fail.

⁹Those who are generous are blessed,

for they share their bread with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;

quarreling and abuse will cease.

¹¹Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech

will have the king as a friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the faithless.

¹³The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be killed in the streets!”

¹⁴The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit;

he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy,

but the rod of discipline drives it far away.

¹⁶Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,

and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷The words of the wise:

Incline your ear and hear my words,

and apply your mind to my teaching;

¹⁸for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today—yes, to you.

²⁰Have I not written for you thirty sayings

of admonition and knowledge,

²¹to show you what is right and true,

so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

²²Do not rob the poor because they are poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate;

²³for the Lord pleads their cause

and despoils of life those who despoil them.

²⁴Make no friends with those given to anger,

and do not associate with hotheads,

²⁵or you may learn their ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

²⁶Do not be one of those who give pledges,

who become surety for debts.

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

²⁸Do not remove the ancient landmark

that your ancestors set up.

²⁹Do you see those who are skillful in their work?

They will serve kings;

they will not serve common people.