Proverbs 22
1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour 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 poor meet together: Yhwh 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 foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, 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 By humility and the fear of Yhwh are riches, and honour, 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 the perverse: he that doth keep 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 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 ruleth 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 that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger 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 that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth 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 scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach 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 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.
If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly, the king will be your friend.
12 The eyes of Yhwh preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.
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 slothful man saith, There is a lion without, 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 strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of Yhwh 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 Foolishness is bound 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 that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come 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 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto 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; they shall withal be fitted in 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 Yhwh, I have made 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 not I written to thee excellent things 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 make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto 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 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted 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 Yhwh will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled 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 angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
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 his 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 not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that 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 hast nothing 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 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean 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].
