Proverbs 22
1 A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold — good grace.
A good reputation is a much better choice than plenty of money; respect is better than silver and gold.
2 Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all [is] Jehovah.
The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord created them all.
3 The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.
If you're sensible you see danger coming and get out of the way; but stupid people just keep going and pay for it.
4 The end of humility [is] the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.
The reward you receive for being humble and respecting the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.
5 Thorns — snares [are] in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.
Thorns and traps lie in the path of crooked people; those who value their lives will stay away from them.
6 Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.
Teach children the right way to live, and when they grow up they'll go on doing so.
7 The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant [is] the borrower to the lender.
The rich rule the poor, and borrowers are slaves to their lenders.
8 Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.
Those who sow injustice will reap disaster, and the angry beatings they inflict on others will be stopped.
9 The good of eye — he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.
If you're generous, you'll be blessed, for you share your food with those in need.
10 Cast out a scorner — and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.
Get rid of the scornful, and you'll get rid of conflict too—no more arguments or insults!
11 Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace [are] his lips, a king [is] his friend.
Anyone who loves sincerity and a gracious way of speaking will have the king as their friend.
12 The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.
The Lord watches over true knowledge, but counteracts the words of liars.
13 The slothful hath said, 'A lion [is] without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'
Lazy people make claims like, “There's a lion outside! I might be killed if I go out there!”
14 A deep pit [is] the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.
The seductive words of an immoral woman are a dangerous trap—if the Lord's angry with you, then you'll fall right in.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.
Children are naturally foolish; physical correction helps them to see sense.
16 He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich — only to want.
If you oppress the poor to make yourself rich, or if you're generous to the rich, you'll end up poor yourself.
17 Incline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge,
Pay attention and listen to the words of the wise, and think carefully about my teachings—
18 For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.
for it's good to keep them in mind so you can be ready to share them.
19 That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.
I'm explaining this to you today so you can trust in the Lord—yes, you!
20 Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?
Haven't I written down for you thirty sayings of advice and wisdom?
21 To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.
They are to make it clear to you what's right and true, so you can give a truthful explanation to those who sent you.
22 Rob not the poor because he [is] poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.
For you shouldn't steal from the poor just because they're poor; and you shouldn't crush those with limited means in court,
23 For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.
for the Lord will plead their case, and he will take back whatever was stolen from them.
24 Shew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in,
Don't make friends with someone who gets upset easily; don't associate with angry people,
25 Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.
in case you learn to be like them and make a mess of your life.
26 Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties [for] burdens.
Don't shake hands and guarantee someone's debt,
27 If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?
for if you can't pay, why should your bed be taken away from beneath you?
28 Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.
Don't move ancient boundary markers that your forefathers put in place.
29 Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!
If you see someone skilled in what they do, they'll work for kings and not for ordinary people.
