aA good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 aThe rich and the poor meet together;
the Lord is bthe Maker of them all.
3 aThe prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
is ariches and honor and life.
5 aThorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever bguards his soul will keep far from them.
6 aTrain up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
7 aThe rich rules over the poor,
and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
8 Whoever asows injustice will reap calamity,
and bthe rod of his fury will fail.
9 aWhoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he bshares his bread with the poor.
10 aDrive out a scoffer, band strife will go out,
and cquarreling and abuse will cease.
11 He who aloves purity of heart,
and whose bspeech is gracious, cwill have the king as his friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he aoverthrows the words of the traitor.
13 aThe sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of aforbidden women is ba deep pit;
che with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
but athe rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16 Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
or gives to the rich, awill only come to poverty.
Words of the Wise
17 aIncline your ear, and hear bthe words of the wise,
cand apply your heart to my knowledge,
18 for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
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 athirty sayings
of counsel and knowledge,
21 to amake you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
22 aDo not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or bcrush the afflicted at cthe gate,
23 for athe 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 agive pledges,
who put up security for debts.
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should ayour bed be taken from under you?
28 Do not move the ancient alandmark
that your fathers have set.
29 Do you see a man skillful in his work?
He will astand before kings;
he will not stand before obscure men.