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 meet together ; the Lord is the maker of them all .

³The 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 riches and honor and life .

⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked ; guards his soul will keep far from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go ; even 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 .

⁸Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity , and the rod of his fury will fail .

⁹Whoever 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 traitor .

¹³The sluggard says , There is a lion outside ! I shall be killed in the streets !

¹⁴The mouth of women 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.

¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth , or gives to the rich , will only come to poverty .

¹⁷Incline your ear , and hear the words of the wise , 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 thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge ,

²¹to make you know 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 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 give pledges , who put up security for debts .

²⁷If you have nothing with which to pay , why should your bed be taken from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set .

²⁹Do you see a man skillful in his work ? He will stand before kings ; he will not stand before obscure men .