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

and favor is better than silver or gold.

2The rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is the maker of them all.

3A prudent man sees danger and hides himself;

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;

he who guards himself will keep far from them.

6Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not depart from it.

7The rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

8He who sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of his fury will fail.

9He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed,

for he shares his bread with the poor.

10Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out,

and quarreling and abuse will cease.

11He who loves purity of heart,

and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

12The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he overthrows the words of the faithless.

13The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be slain in the streets!”

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

he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

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

but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

16He who oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, will only come to want.

17Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,

and apply your mind 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 thirty sayings

of admonition and knowledge,

21to show you what is right and true,

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

22Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or crush the afflicted at the gate;

23for the Lord will plead their cause

and despoil of life those who despoil 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 give pledges,

who become surety for debts.

27If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should your bed be taken from under you?

28Remove not the ancient landmark

which your fathers have set.

29Do you see a man skilful in his work?

he will stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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