Proverbs 22

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

A good name is to be chosen aboue great riches, and louing fauour is aboue siluer and aboue golde.

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

The rich and poore meete together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

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

A prudent man seeth the plague, and hideth himselfe: but the foolish goe on still, and are punished.

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

The rewarde of humilitie, and the feare of God is riches, and glory, and life.

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

Thornes and snares are in the way of the frowarde: but he that regardeth his soule, will depart farre from them.

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

Teache a childe in the trade of his way, and when he is olde, he shall not depart from it.

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

The rich ruleth the poore, and the borower is seruant to the man that lendeth.

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

He that soweth iniquitie, shall reape affliction, and the rodde of his anger shall faile.

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

He that hath a good eye, he shalbe blessed: for he giueth of his bread vnto the poore.

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

Cast out the scorner, and strife shall go out: so contention and reproche shall cease.

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

Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes, the King shalbe his friend.

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

The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge: but hee ouerthroweth the wordes of the transgressour.

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

The slouthfull man saith, A lyon is without, I shall be slaine in the streete.

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

The mouth of strage women is as a deepe pit: he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein.

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

Foolishnesse is bounde in the heart of a childe: but the rodde of correction shall driue it away from him.

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

Hee that oppresseth the poore to increase him selfe, and giueth vnto the riche, shall surely come to pouertie.

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

Incline thine eare, and heare the wordes of the wise, and apply thine heart vnto my knowledge.

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

For it shalbe pleasant, if thou keepe them in thy bellie, and if they be directed together in thy lippes.

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

That thy confidence may be in the Lord, I haue shewed thee this day: thou therefore take heede.

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

Haue not I written vnto thee three times in counsels and knowledge,

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

That I might shewe thee the assurance of the wordes of trueth to answere the wordes of trueth to them that sende to thee?

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

Robbe not the poore, because hee is poore, neither oppresse the afflicted in iudgement.

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

For the Lord will defende their cause, and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them.

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

Make no friendship with an angrie man, neither goe with the furious man,

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

Least thou learne his wayes, and receiue destruction to thy soule.

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

Be not thou of them that touch the hand, nor among them that are suretie for debts.

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

If thou hast nothing to paye, why causest thou that he should take thy bed from vnder thee?

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

Thou shalt not remooue the ancient bounds which thy fathers haue made.

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

Thou seest that a diligent man in his businesse standeth before Kings, and standeth not before the base sort.