Pro 22:22-24:12 | ESV | STEP | Do not rob the poor , because he is poor , or crush the afflicted at the gate ,

22 ^aDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or ^bcrush the afflicted at ^cthe gate,
23 for ^dthe Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
26 Be not one of those who ^egive pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should ^fyour bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient ^glandmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will ^hstand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.

Proverbs 23

1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what ^{▼▼Or who} is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 ^jDo not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.
4 ^kDo not toil to acquire wealth;
^lbe discerning enough to desist.
5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone,
^mfor suddenly it sprouts wings,
flying like an eagle toward heaven.
6 ⁿDo not eat the bread of a man who is ^ostingy; ^{▼▼Hebrew whose eye is evil}
^qdo not desire his delicacies,
7 for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. ^{▼▼Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he}
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his ^sheart is not with you.
8 You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
and waste your pleasant words.
9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
for he will despise the good sense of your words.
10 ^tDo not move an ancient landmark
or enter the fields of the fatherless,
11 for their ^uRedeemer is strong;
he will ^vplead their cause against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ear to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold ^wdiscipline from a child;
^xif you strike him with a rod, he will not die.
14 If you strike him with the rod,
you will ^ysave his soul from Sheol.
15 ^zMy son, if your heart is wise,
my heart too will be glad.
16 My ^aainmost being ^{▼▼Hebrew My kidneys} will exult
when your lips speak ^acwhat is right.
17 Let not your heart ^adenvy sinners,
but continue in ^aethe fear of the Lord all the day.
18 Surely ^afthere is a future,
and your ^aghope will not be cut off.
19 Hear, my son, and ^ahbe wise,
and ^aidirect your heart in the way.
20 Be not among ^ajdrunkards ^{▼▼Hebrew those who drink too much wine}
or among ^algluttonous eaters of meat,
21 for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
and ^amslumber will clothe them with rags.
22 ^anListen to your father who gave you life,
^aoand do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 ^apBuy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
24 ^aqThe father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
25 ^arLet your father and mother be glad;
let ^asher who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe ^{▼▼Or delight in} my ways.
27 For a prostitute is ^aua deep pit;
^avan adulteress ^{▼▼Hebrew a foreign woman} is a narrow ^axwell.
28 ^ayShe lies in wait like a robber
and increases the traitors among mankind.
29 ^azWho has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has ^bawounds without cause?
Who has ^bbredness of eyes?
30 Those who ^bctarry long over wine;
those who go to try ^bdmixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it ^bebites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter ^bfperverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast. ^{▼▼Or of the rigging}
35 “They ^bhstruck me,” you will say, ^{▼▼Hebrew lacks you will say} “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I ^bjmust have another drink.”

Proverbs 24:1-12

1 Be not ^bkenvious of evil men,
nor desire to be ^blwith them,
2 for their hearts ^bmdevise violence,
and their lips ^bntalk of trouble.
3 By ^bowisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all ^bpprecious and pleasant riches.
5 ^bqA wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by ^brwise guidance you can wage your war,
and in ^bsabundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is ^bttoo high for a fool;
in ^buthe gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Whoever ^bvplans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 ^bwThe devising ^{▼▼Or scheming} of folly is sin,
and ^bythe scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10 If you ^bzfaint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 ^caRescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
^cbdoes not he who ^ccweighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who ^cdkeeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man ^ceaccording to his work?