Proverbs 22
1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.
(Having a good reputation/Being honored by people) is better than having a lot of money; being well respected is better than having plenty of gold or silver [DOU].
2 The rich and the poor meet together. Jehovah is the maker of them all.
There is one thing that is true about both rich people and poor people: Yahweh is the one who created all of them.
3 A prudent man sees the evil, and hides himself, but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
Those who have good sense realize [that there is something] dangerous ahead, and they avoid it; those who do not have good sense just keep going and later they will suffer because of doing that.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah is riches and honor and life.
The reward that Yahweh gives to those who are humble and who revere him is that he causes them to be rich and honored and to live for a long time.
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of a perverse man. He who keeps his soul shall be far from them.
Because of the things that wicked people do, [they have difficulties/troubles] that will be like thorns and traps on the roads that they walk on [MET]; people who are careful/cautious will be able to stay away from those difficulties.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.
If you train/teach children to do what is right, all during their life they will act/behave in that manner.
7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Rich people rule over poor people harshly, and those who borrow money become like slaves [MET] of the people who lend [money to them].
8 He who sows iniquity shall reap calamity, and the rod of his wrath shall fail.
[If you plant corn or rice, corn or rice will grow]; [similarly], if you act unjustly, you will have disasters [MET]; and if you try to harm/oppress people [because you are angry with them], you will not be able to harm them.
9 He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.
[God] will bless those who are generous [IDM], those who give some of their food to poor [people].
10 Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out, yea, strife and reproach will cease.
If you get rid of those who make fun of [everything that is good], there will no more arguing or quarreling or insulting [other people].
11 He who loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips, the king will be his friend.
If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly, the king will be your friend.
12 The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the treacherous man.
Yahweh [SYN] (watches over/takes care of) [those who have] good understanding/sense, but he ruins the plans/affairs of those who always try to deceive others.
13 The sluggard says, There is a lion outside. I shall be slain in the streets.
Lazy people [remain in their houses]; they say, “A lion might attack me if I go out into the street [to go to work]!”
14 The mouth of interloping women is a deep pit. He who is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall in it.
What (wives who commit adultery/immoral women) say [to men] [MTY] is [like] a deep pit [MET] [into which those men fall]; those with whom Yahweh is angry will fall into that pit.
15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Children [SYN] naturally do things that are foolish, but if you punish/spank them [PRS], they [will] (stop doing foolish things/learn to behave as they should).
16 He who oppresses a poor man to his increase, and he who gives to a rich man, comes only to want.
Those who oppress poor [people] in order to become rich, and those who give [a bribe] to rich [people in order that the rich people will do a favor for them], will just lose their money.
17 Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart to my knowledge.
[Now] listen [MTY] to what wise [people] have said; think carefully about what I am teaching you.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, if they be established together upon thy lips.
It will be good to (keep these things in your minds/always remember them), because if you do that, you will be able to quote/recite them [to others].
19 That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee.
[I want you to] trust in Yahweh, and that is the reason that I am telling them to you, now.
20 Have I not written to thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge,
I have written [RHQ] 30 (sayings/things that wise people have said) from which you will receive good advice and you will be able you to know [many good/useful things].
21 to make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou may carry back words of truth to those who send thee?
From them, you will learn what is right and what is true, in order that you will be able to bring back a good report to those who sent you [to school] (OR, give a good answer [to those who ask you questions]).
22 Do not rob a poor man, because he is poor, nor oppress an afflicted man in the gate.
[It is easy to] rob poor [people] who are helpless [and cannot defend themselves, but] never [do that]; and do not oppress in court those who are needy/afflicted,
23 For Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil of life those who despoil them.
because Yahweh will speak to defend them, and he will punish those who steal things from others—by causing them to die.
24 Make no friendship with a man who is given to anger, and thou shall not go with a wrathful man,
Do not become friends with those who often become angry, and do not associate with those who cannot control their temper/anger,
25 lest thou learn this ways, and get a snare to thy soul.
because you might start to act like they do and not be able to stop doing that.
26 Be thou not one of those who strike hands, or of those who are sureties for debts.
If someone borrows money, do not be one of those who promises to pay what that person owes he cannot pay it back,
27 If thou have not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
because if you cannot pay it back, people will surely [RHQ] [come and] take away [everything you own], even your bed.
28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
Do not [steal some of your neighbors’ land by] removing the boundary lines/markers that your ancestors placed/set.
29 See thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.
Know/Learn [RHQ] this about those who do their work very skillfully: They will quit working for ordinary people and will start working for kings [because the kings will want people like that to work for them].
