Proverbs 22

1 More choice, is a name, than great riches, beyond silver and gold, is pleasant grace.

A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor, meet together, the maker of them all, is Yahweh.

The rich and the poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man, seeth calamity, and hideth himself, but, the simple, pass on, and suffer.

A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

4 The reward of humility, is the reverence of Yahweh, riches, and honour, and life.

The reward of humility [and] the fear of the LORD [is] riches, and honour, and life.

5 Thorns and snares, are in the way of the perverse, —he that guardeth his soul, shall be far from them.

Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the froward: he that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

6 Train up a youth, in the direction of his duty, even when he becometh old, he will not depart from it.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The rich, over the poor, beareth rule, —and, slave, is the borrower to the lender.

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He that soweth perversity, shall reap trouble, and, the rod of his wrath, shall be ready.

He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity: and the rod of his wrath shall fail.

9 A benevolent eye, the same, shall be blessed, —because he hath given of his bread to the poor.

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10 Drive away the scoffer, that strife may depart, and quarrel, and contempt may cease.

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and ignominy shall cease.

11 Yahweh loveth the pure in heart, gracious are his lips, his friend is the king!

He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12 The eyes of Yahweh, watch over knowledge, therefore hath he overturned the words of the treacherous.

The eyes of the LORD preserve [him that hath] knowledge, but he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man.

13 Saith the sluggard, A lion outside! Amidst the broadways, shall I be slain.

The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be murdered in the streets.

14 A deep chasm, is the mouth of strange women, he with whom Yahweh is indignant, falleth there.

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

15 Foolishness, is bound up in the heart of a youth, the rod of correction, shall drive it far from him.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 He that oppresseth the poor, to make increase for himself, giving to the rich, shall surely come to want.

He that oppresseth the poor to increase his [gain, and] he that giveth to the rich, [cometh] only to want.

17 Incline thine ear and hear the words of wise men, then, thy heart, wilt thou apply to my teaching;

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

18 For sweet shall they be, when thou shalt keep them in thine inmost mind, they shall fit well together, upon thy lips.

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, if they be established together upon thy lips.

19 That in Yahweh may be thy trust, I have made them known to thee to-day, even to thee.

That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.

20 Have I not written for thee noble things, with counsels and knowledge:

Have not I written unto thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge;

21 To cause thee to know the meaning of faithful sayings, that thou mayest give back faithful sayings to them who ask thee.

To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

22 Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, neither crush thou the oppressed in the gate;

Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23 For, Yahweh, will plead their cause, and will despoil their despoilers of life.

For the LORD will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them.

24 Do not have friendship with one given to anger, and, with a wrathful man, shall thou not enter in:

Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; and with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:

25 Lest thou learn his ways, and take a snare to thy soul.

Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 Be not of them who strike hands, of them who are sureties for debts:

Be thou not one of them that strike hands, [or] of them that are sureties for debts:

27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should one take away thy bed from under thee?

If thou hast not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28 Do not move back the ancient boundary, which thy father’s made.

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29 Seest thou a man prompt in his business? before kings, shall he stand, he shall not stand before men who are obscure.

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.