The Value of a Good Name
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
The Lord is the maker of them all.
But the simple pass on and are punished.
Are riches and honor and life.
He who guards his soul will be far from them.
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.
And the borrower is servant to the lender.
And the rod of his anger will fail.
For he gives of his bread to the poor.
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.
I shall be slain in the streets!”
He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.
Sayings of the Wise
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who [d]send to you?
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
23 For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.
And with a furious man do not go,
25 Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.
One of those who is [f]surety for debts;
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?
Which your fathers have set.
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before [i]unknown men.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:6 Even
- Proverbs 22:8 trouble
- Proverbs 22:9 Lit. good
- Proverbs 22:21 Or send you
- Proverbs 22:26 Lit. strikes
- Proverbs 22:26 guaranty
- Proverbs 22:28 boundary
- Proverbs 22:29 is prompt in his business
- Proverbs 22:29 obscure