Proverbs 22

¹A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, andloving favour rather than silver and gold. ²The rich and the poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. ³A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. ⁴The reward of humility andthe fear of the LORD isriches, and honour, and life. ⁵Thorns andsnares are in the way of the froward: he that keepeth his soul shall be far from them. ⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it. ⁷The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. ⁸He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity: and the rod of his wrath shall fail. ⁹He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. ¹⁰Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and ignominy shall cease. ¹¹He that loveth pureness of heart, forthe grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. ¹²The eyes of the LORD preserve him that hathknowledge, but he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man. ¹³The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be murdered in the streets. ¹⁴The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. ¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; butthe rod of correction shall drive it far from him. ¹⁶He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, andhe that giveth to the rich, comethonly to want. ¹⁷Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. ¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, if they be established together upon thy lips. ¹⁹That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made themknown to thee this day, even to thee. ²⁰Have not I written unto thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge; ²¹To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee? ²²Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: ²³For the LORD will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them. ²⁴Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; and with a wrathful man thou shalt not go: ²⁵Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. ²⁶Be thou not one of them that strike hands, orof them that are sureties for debts: ²⁷If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? ²⁸Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. ²⁹Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.