Proverbs 22

¹ A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold — good grace.

² Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all [is] Jehovah.

³ The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

⁴ The end of humility [is] the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.

⁵ Thorns — snares [are] in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

⁶ Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

⁷ The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant [is] the borrower to the lender.

⁸ Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

⁹ The good of eye — he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

¹⁰ Cast out a scorner — and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.

¹¹ Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace [are] his lips, a king [is] his friend.

¹² The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

¹³ The slothful hath said, ‘A lion [is] without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.’

¹⁴ A deep pit [is] the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.

¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

¹⁶ He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich — only to want.

¹⁷ Incline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge,

¹⁸ For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.

¹⁹ That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

²⁰ Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

²¹ To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

²² Rob not the poor because he [is] poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.

²³ For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

²⁴ Shew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in,

²⁵ Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

²⁶ Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties [for] burdens.

²⁷ If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

²⁸ Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

²⁹ Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!