Proverb 22

Proverbs 22 (New American Standard Bible)

Proverbs 22

On Life and Conduct

    ¹A ^(A)good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
         Favor is better than silver and gold.
    ²The rich and the poor have a common bond,
         The LORD is the ^(B)maker of them all.
    ³The ^(C)prudent sees the evil and hides himself,
         But the naive go on, and are punished for it.
    ⁴The 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.
    ⁷The ^(F)rich rules over the poor,
         And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
    ⁸He who ^(G)sows iniquity will reap vanity,
         And the ^(H)rod of his fury will perish.
    ⁹He 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.
    ¹¹He who loves ^(L)purity of heart
         And whose speech is ^(M)gracious, the king is his friend.
    ¹²The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,
         But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.
    ¹³The ^(N)sluggard says, "There is a lion outside;
         I will be killed in the streets!"
    ¹⁴The mouth of ^(O)an adulteress is a deep pit;
         He who is ^(P)cursed of the LORD will fall into it.
    ¹⁵Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
         The ^(Q)rod of discipline will remove it far from him.
    ¹⁶He ^(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;
    ¹⁸For it will be ^(U)pleasant if you keep them within you,
         That they may be ready on your lips.
    ¹⁹So that your ^(V)trust may be in the LORD,
         I have taught you today, even you.
    ²⁰Have I not written to you ^(W)excellent things
         Of counsels and knowledge,
    ²¹To 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;
    ²³For the LORD will ^(AB)plead their case
         And take the life of those who rob them.
    ²⁴Do not associate with a man given to anger;
         Or go with a ^(AC)hot-tempered man,
    ²⁵Or you will ^(AD)learn his ways
         And find a snare for yourself.
    ²⁶Do not be among those who ^(AE)give pledges,
         Among those who become guarantors for debts.
    ²⁷If 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.
    ²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work?
         He will ^(AH)stand before kings;
         He will not stand before obscure men.