Pro 22 | LEB | STEP | A ⌞reputation⌟ is to be chosen ⌞rather than⌟ great riches; ⌞favor is better than silver and gold⌟ .

Proverbs 22

1 A ⌞reputation⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “name”} is to be chosen ⌞rather than⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “from”} great riches;
⌞favor is better than silver and gold⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “from silver and from gold, favor is better”}
2 Rich and poor have much in common;
Yahweh is the maker of all of them.
3 The clever sees danger and hides,
but the simple go on and suffer.
4 The reward of humility is the fear of Yahweh—
wealth and honor and life.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
he who guards himself ^{▼▼Or “soul,” or “life”} will keep away from them.
6 Train the child ⌞concerning his way⌟; ^{▼▼Literally “on the mouth of his way”}
even when he is old, he will not stray from it.
7 The rich will rule over the poor,
and the borrower is a slave of ⌞the lender⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “the borrower belonging to a man”}
8 He who sows injustice will reap calamity,
and the rod of his anger will fail.
9 He who ⌞is generous⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “the generous of eye”} will be blessed,
for he gives to the poor from his own bread.
10 Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out;
quarrel and abuse will cease.
11 He who loves purity of heart
and has⌞gracious speech⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “grace of his lips”} his friend is the king.
12 The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge,
but he will overthrow the words of the faithless.
13 A lazy person says “A lion in the street!
In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!”
14 A deep pit is the mouth of an ⌞adulteress⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “a strange woman”}
he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart ^{▼▼Or “mind”} of a boy; ^{▼▼Or “young man,” or “adolescent”}
the rod of discipline will drive it ^{▼▼That is, folly} from him.
16 He who oppresses the poor in order to enrich himself,
or gives to the rich, ⌞will come to poverty⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “only loss”}

Words of the Wise

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise;
you shall apply your heart ^{▼▼Or “mind”} to my teaching.
18 For it is pleasant if you guard them ⌞within you⌟; ^{▼▼Literally “in your belly/womb”}
together they will be ready upon your lips.
19 In order for your trust to be in Yahweh,
I have made them known to you ⌞today⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “the day”}—even ^{▼▼Or “only”} you.
20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings
with admonitions and knowledge?
21 In order to show you what is right—sayings of truth—
in order to return a true saying to him who sent you.
22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;
23 For Yahweh will plead their case
and despoil those who despoil them of life. ^{▼▼Or “soul,” or “inner self”}
24 Do not befriend an owner ^{▼▼Or “master”} of ⌞anger⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “nostril”}
and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;
25 lest you learn his way
and become entangled in a snare to yourself. ^{▼▼Or “soul,” or “inner self”}
26 Do not be with those who ⌞give a pledge⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “strike a hand”}
⌞by becoming⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “in the becomings of”} surety.
27 If there is nothing for you to pay, ^{▼▼Or “complete”}
why will he take your bed from under you?
28 Do not remove an ancient boundary marker
which your ancestors ^{▼▼Or “fathers”} made.
29 A man who is skillful in his work, you shall see:
before kings, he will serve;
he will not serve before the commoners.