Proverbs, 22

1. Fame is preferable to great wealth, favour, to silver and gold.

1. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

2. Rich and poor rub shoulders, Yahweh has made them both.

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

3. The discreet sees danger and takes shelter, simpletons go ahead and pay the penalty.

3. A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple go on, and suffer for it.

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

4. The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.

5. Thorns and snares line the path of the wilful, whoever values life will stay at a distance.

5. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards himself will keep far from them.

6. Give a lad a training suitable to his character and, even when old, he will not go back on it.

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

7. The rich lords it over the poor, the borrower is the lender's slave.

7. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

8. Whoever sows injustice reaps disaster, and the rod of such anger will disappear.

8. He who sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.

9. A kindly eye will earn a blessing, such a person shares out food with the poor.

9. He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

10. Expel the mocker and strife goes too, law-suits and dislike die down.

10. Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

11. Whoever loves the pure of heart and is gracious of speech has the king for a friend.

11. He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

12. Yahweh's eyes protect knowledge, but he confounds deceitful speeches.

12. The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the faithless.

13. 'There is a lion outside,' says the idler, 'I shall be killed in the street!'

13. The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!"

14. The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit, into it falls the man whom Yahweh rebukes.

14. The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry will fall into it.

15. Folly is anchored in the heart of a youth, the whip of instruction will rid him of it.

15. Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

16. Harsh treatment enriches the poor, but a gift impoverishes the rich.

16. He who oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to want.

17. Give ear, listen to the sayings of the sages, and apply your heart to what I know,

17. Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge;

18. for it will be a delight to keep them deep within you to have them all ready on your lips.

18. for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

19. So that your trust may be in Yahweh, it is you whom I wish to instruct today.

19. That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you.

20. Have I not written for you thirty chapters of advice and knowledge,

20. Have I not written for you thirty sayings of admonition and knowledge,

21. to make you know the certainty of true sayings, so that you can return with sound answers to those who sent you?

21. to show you what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

22. Do not despoil the weak, for he is weak, and do not oppress the poor at the gate,

22. Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate;

23. for Yahweh takes up their cause, and extorts the life of their extortioners.

23. for the LORD will plead their cause and despoil of life those who despoil them.

24. Do not make friends with one who gives way to anger, make no one quick-tempered a companion of yours,

24. Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

25. for fear you learn such behaviour and in it find a snare for yourself.

25. lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

26. Do not be one of those who go guarantor, who go surety for debts:

26. Be not one of those who give pledges, who become surety for debts.

27. if you have no means of paying your bed will be taken from under you.

27. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

28. Do not displace the ancient boundary-stone set by your ancestors.

28. Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

29. You see someone alert at his business? His aim will be to serve kings; not for him the service of the obscure.

29. Do you see a man skilful in his work? he will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.