On Life and Conduct
22 A (A)good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.
2 The rich and the poor have a common bond,
The Lord is the (B)maker of them all.
3 The (C)prudent sees the evil and hides himself,
But the naive go on, and are punished for it.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, honor and life.
5 (D)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards himself will be far from them.
6 (E)Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 The (F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
8 He who (G)sows iniquity will reap vanity,
And the (H)rod of his fury will perish.
9 He who is (I)generous will be blessed,
For he (J)gives some of his food to the poor.
10 (K)Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out,
Even strife and dishonor will cease.
11 He who loves (L)purity of heart
And whose speech is (M)gracious, the king is his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.
13 The (N)sluggard says, “There is a lion outside;
I will be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of (O)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (P)cursed of the Lord will fall into it.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The (Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
16 He (R)who oppresses the poor to make more for himself
Or who gives to the rich, (S)will only come to poverty.
17 (T)Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
18 For it will be (U)pleasant if you keep them within you,
That they may be ready on your lips.
19 So that your (V)trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you (W)excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 To make you (X)know the certainty of the words of truth
That you may (Y)correctly answer him who sent you?
22 (Z)Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Or (AA)crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For the Lord will (AB)plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them.
24 Do not associate with a man given to anger;
Or go with a (AC)hot-tempered man,
25 Or you will (AD)learn his ways
And find a snare for yourself.
26 Do not be among those who (AE)give pledges,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he (AF)take your bed from under you?
28 (AG)Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will (AH)stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:2
- Proverbs 22:3
- Proverbs 22:4
- Proverbs 22:6
- Proverbs 22:9
- Proverbs 22:11
- Proverbs 22:14
- Proverbs 22:14
- Proverbs 22:16
- Proverbs 22:18
- Proverbs 22:19
- Proverbs 22:20
- Proverbs 22:21
- Proverbs 22:21
- Proverbs 22:23
- Proverbs 22:25
- Proverbs 22:26
Cross references
- Proverbs 22:1 : Prov 10:7; Eccl 7:1
- Proverbs 22:2 : Job 31:15; Prov 14:31
- Proverbs 22:3 : Prov 14:16; 27:12; Is 26:20
- Proverbs 22:5 : Prov 15:19
- Proverbs 22:6 : Eph 6:4
- Proverbs 22:7 : Prov 18:23; James 2:6
- Proverbs 22:8 : Job 4:8
- Proverbs 22:8 : Ps 125:3
- Proverbs 22:9 : Prov 19:17; 2 Cor 9:6
- Proverbs 22:9 : Luke 14:13
- Proverbs 22:10 : Gen 21:9, 10; Prov 18:6; 26:20
- Proverbs 22:11 : Ps 24:4; Matt 5:8
- Proverbs 22:11 : Prov 14:35; 16:13
- Proverbs 22:13 : Prov 26:13
- Proverbs 22:14 : Prov 2:16; 5:3; 7:5; 23:27
- Proverbs 22:14 : Eccl 7:26
- Proverbs 22:15 : Prov 13:24; 23:14
- Proverbs 22:16 : Eccl 5:8; James 2:13
- Proverbs 22:16 : Prov 28:22
- Proverbs 22:17 : Prov 5:1
- Proverbs 22:18 : Prov 2:10
- Proverbs 22:19 : Prov 3:5
- Proverbs 22:20 : Prov 8:6
- Proverbs 22:21 : Luke 1:3, 4
- Proverbs 22:21 : Prov 25:13; 1 Pet 3:15
- Proverbs 22:22 : Ex 23:6; Job 31:16; Prov 22:16
- Proverbs 22:22 : Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5
- Proverbs 22:23 : 1 Sam 25:39; Ps 12:5; 35:10; 140:12; Prov 23:11; Jer 51:36
- Proverbs 22:24 : Prov 29:22
- Proverbs 22:25 : 1 Cor 15:33
- Proverbs 22:26 : Prov 17:18
- Proverbs 22:27 : Ex 22:26; Prov 20:16
- Proverbs 22:28 : Deut 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Prov 23:10
- Proverbs 22:29 : Gen 41:46; 1 Kin 10:8
