Proverbs 22

a A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
b The rich and the poor meet together;
the  Lord is c the maker of them all.
d The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
The reward for humility and fear of the  Lord
is e riches and honor and life.
Or  The reward for humility is the fear of the  Lord, riches and honor and life

g Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever h guards his soul will keep far from them.
i Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
j The rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Whoever k sows injustice will reap calamity,
and l the rod of his fury will fail.
m Whoever has a bountiful
Hebrew good
eye will be blessed,
for he o shares his bread with the poor.
10  p Drive out a scoffer q and strife will go out,
and r quarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who s loves purity of heart,
and whose t speech is gracious u will have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the  Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he v overthrows the words of the traitor.
13  w The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of x forbidden
Hebrew strange
women
is z a deep pit;
aa he with whom the  Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but ab the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich ac will only come to poverty.

Words of the Wise

17  ad Incline your ear, and hear ae the words of the wise,
af 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 ag thirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to ah make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22  ai Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or aj crush the afflicted at ak the gate,
23 for al 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 am give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should an your bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient ao landmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will ap stand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.
Copyright information for ESV