Proverbs

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
22 
A reputation[a] is to be chosen rather than[b] great riches;

favor is better than silver and gold.[c]

2 Rich and poor have much in common;

Yahweh is the maker of all of them.

3 The clever sees danger and hides,

but the simple go on and suffer.

4 The reward of humility is the fear of Yahweh—

wealth and honor and life.

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

he who guards himself[d] will keep away from them.

6 Train the child concerning his way;[e]

even when he is old, he will not stray from it.

7 The rich will rule over the poor,

and the borrower is a slave of the lender.[f]

8 He who sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of his anger will fail.

9 He who is generous[g] will be blessed,

for he gives to the poor from his own bread.

10 Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out;

quarrel and abuse will cease.

11 He who loves purity of heart

and hasgracious speech,[h] his friend is the king.

12 The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge,

but he will overthrow the words of the faithless.

13 A lazy person says “A lion in the street!

In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!”

14 A deep pit is the mouth of an adulteress,[i]

he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.

15 Folly is bound up in the heart[j] of a boy;[k]

the rod of discipline will drive it[l] from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself,

or gives to the rich, will come to poverty.[m]

Words of the Wise

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

you shall apply your heart[n] to my teaching.

18 For it is pleasant if you guard them within you;[o]

together they will be ready upon your lips.

19 In order for your trust to be in Yahweh,

I have made them known to you today[p]—even[q] you.

20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings

with admonitions and knowledge?

21 In order to show you what is right—sayings of truth—

in order to return a true saying to him who sent you.

22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;

23 For Yahweh will plead their case

and despoil those who despoil them of life.[r]

24 Do not befriend an owner[s] of anger,[t]

and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;

25 lest you learn his way

and become entangled in a snare to yourself.[u]

26 Do not be with those who give a pledge[v]

by becoming[w] surety.

27 If there is nothing for you to pay,[x]

why will he take your bed from under you?

28 Do not remove an ancient boundary marker

which your ancestors[y] made.

29 A man who is skillful in his work, you shall see:

before kings, he will serve;

he will not serve before the commoners.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:1 Literally “name”
  2. Proverbs 22:1 Literally “from”
  3. Proverbs 22:1 Literally “from silver and from gold, favor is better”
  4. Proverbs 22:5 Or “soul,” or “life”
  5. Proverbs 22:6 Literally “on the mouth of his way”
  6. Proverbs 22:7 Literally “the borrower belonging to a man”
  7. Proverbs 22:9 Literally “the generous of eye”
  8. Proverbs 22:11 Literally “grace of his lips”
  9. Proverbs 22:14 Literally “a strange woman”
  10. Proverbs 22:15 Or “mind”
  11. Proverbs 22:15 Or “young man,” or “adolescent”
  12. Proverbs 22:15 That is, folly
  13. Proverbs 22:16 Literally “only loss”
  14. Proverbs 22:17 Or “mind”
  15. Proverbs 22:18 Literally “in your belly/womb”
  16. Proverbs 22:19 Literally “the day”
  17. Proverbs 22:19 Or “only”
  18. Proverbs 22:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  19. Proverbs 22:24 Or “master”
  20. Proverbs 22:24 Literally “nostril”
  21. Proverbs 22:25 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  22. Proverbs 22:26 Literally “strike a hand”
  23. Proverbs 22:26 Literally “in the becomings of”
  24. Proverbs 22:27 Or “complete”
  25. Proverbs 22:28 Or “fathers”