Proverbs 22 ESV | WeDevote Bible

122:1 [Eccles. 7:1]A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,

and favor is better than silver or gold.

222:2 [ch. 29:13] The rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is 22:2 ch. 14:31; Job 31:15the Maker of them all.

322:3 ch. 27:12; [ch. 14:16]The prudent sees danger and hides himself,

but the simple go on and suffer for it.

4The reward for humility and fear of the Lord

is 22:4 [ch. 21:20, 21]riches and honor and life.22:4 Or The reward for humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and honor and life

522:5 ch. 15:19Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;

whoever 22:5 ch. 21:23; [1 John 5:18]guards his soul will keep far from them.

622:6 Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:15Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

722:7 James 2:6The rich rules over the poor,

and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

8Whoever 22:8 Job 4:8; [Hos. 10:13] sows injustice will reap calamity,

and 22:8 [Isa. 14:6; 30:31]the rod of his fury will fail.

922:9 [ch. 19:17; 2 Cor. 9:6] Whoever has a bountiful22:9 Hebrew good eye will be blessed,

for he 22:9 [ch. 19:17; Luke 14:13, 14]shares his bread with the poor.

1022:10 [Gen. 21:9, 10] Drive out a scoffer, 22:10 [ch. 26:20] and strife will go out,

and 22:10 ch. 26:20quarreling and abuse will cease.

11He who 22:11 [ch. 16:13; Ps. 101:6] loves purity of heart,

and whose 22:11 [Eccles. 10:12] speech is gracious, 22:11 [ch. 14:35]will have the king as his friend.

12The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he 22:12 ch. 21:12; [ch. 11:3]overthrows the words of the traitor.

1322:13 ch. 26:13The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!

I shall be killed in the streets!”

14The mouth of 22:14 See ch. 2:16forbidden22:14 Hebrew strange women is 22:14 [ch. 23:27] a deep pit;

22:14 Eccles. 7:26he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but 22:15 See ch. 13:24the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

16Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,

or gives to the rich, 22:16 ch. 28:22will only come to poverty.

Words of the Wise

1722:17 ch. 5:1Incline your ear, and hear 22:17 ch. 1:6; 24:23the words of the wise,

22:17 [ch. 23:12]and apply your heart to my knowledge,

18for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,

if all of them are ready on your lips.

19That your trust may be in the Lord,

I have made them known to you today, even to you.

20Have I not written for you 22:20 ch. 8:6thirty sayings

of counsel and knowledge,

21to 22:21 [Luke 1:3, 4]make you know what is right and true,

that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

2222:22 [Ex. 23:6; Zech. 7:10; Mal. 3:5] Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,

or 22:22 See Job 5:4crush the afflicted at 22:22 Job 31:21the gate,

23for 22:23 ch. 23:11; 1 Sam. 25:39; Ps. 12:5; 35:10; 68:5; 140:12; Jer. 51:36the Lord will plead their cause

and rob of life those who rob them.

24Make no friendship with a man given to anger,

nor go with a wrathful man,

25lest you learn his ways

and entangle yourself in a snare.

26Be not one of those who 22:26 See Job 17:3give pledges,

who put up security for debts.

27If you have nothing with which to pay,

why should 22:27 [ch. 20:16; Ex. 22:26]your bed be taken from under you?

28Do not move the ancient 22:28 ch. 23:10; Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Hos. 5:10landmark

that your fathers have set.

29Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will 22:29 1 Kgs. 10:8; See Gen. 41:46stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.

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