Proverbs 22
1 A good name is to be chosen aboue great riches, and louing fauour is aboue siluer and aboue golde.
(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 poore meete together: the Lord 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 seeth the plague, and hideth himselfe: but the foolish goe on still, and are punished.
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 rewarde of humilitie, and the feare of God is riches, and glory, 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 Thornes and snares are in the way of the frowarde: but he that regardeth his soule, will depart farre 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 Teache a childe in the trade of his way, and when he is olde, he shall 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 ruleth the poore, and the borower is seruant to the man that lendeth.
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 that soweth iniquitie, shall reape affliction, and the rodde of his anger shall faile.
[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 that hath a good eye, he shalbe blessed: for he giueth of his bread vnto the poore.
[God] will bless those who are generous [IDM], those who give some of their food to poor [people].
10 Cast out the scorner, and strife shall go out: so contention and reproche shall 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 Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes, the King shalbe his friend.
If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly, the king will be your friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge: but hee ouerthroweth the wordes of the transgressour.
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 slouthfull man saith, A lyon is without, I shall be slaine in the streete.
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 strage women is as a deepe pit: he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein.
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 Foolishnesse is bounde in the heart of a childe: but the rodde of correction shall driue it away 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 Hee that oppresseth the poore to increase him selfe, and giueth vnto the riche, shall surely come to pouertie.
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 eare, and heare the wordes of the wise, and apply thine heart vnto my knowledge.
[Now] listen [MTY] to what wise [people] have said; think carefully about what I am teaching you.
18 For it shalbe pleasant, if thou keepe them in thy bellie, and if they be directed together in thy lippes.
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 confidence may be in the Lord, I haue shewed thee this day: thou therefore take heede.
[I want you to] trust in Yahweh, and that is the reason that I am telling them to you, now.
20 Haue not I written vnto thee three times in 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 That I might shewe thee the assurance of the wordes of trueth to answere the wordes of trueth to them that sende to 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 Robbe not the poore, because hee is poore, neither oppresse the afflicted in iudgement.
[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 the Lord will defende their cause, and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle 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 an angrie man, neither goe with the furious man,
Do not become friends with those who often become angry, and do not associate with those who cannot control their temper/anger,
25 Least thou learne his wayes, and receiue destruction to thy soule.
because you might start to act like they do and not be able to stop doing that.
26 Be not thou of them that touch the hand, nor among them that are suretie 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 hast nothing to paye, why causest thou that he should take thy bed from vnder thee?
because if you cannot pay it back, people will surely [RHQ] [come and] take away [everything you own], even your bed.
28 Thou shalt not remooue the ancient bounds which thy fathers haue made.
Do not [steal some of your neighbors’ land by] removing the boundary lines/markers that your ancestors placed/set.
29 Thou seest that a diligent man in his businesse standeth before Kings, and standeth not before the base sort.
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].
