1A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. 2The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. 3The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. 4The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.a 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. 6Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. 7The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. 8Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. 9Whoever has a bountifulb eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. 10Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. 11He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. 12The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor. 13The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” 14The mouth of forbiddenc women is a deep pit; he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it. 15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty. Words of the Wise 17Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, 22Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, Footnotes: a 4 Or The reward for humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and honor and life b 9 Hebrew good c 14 Hebrew strange ESV Text Edition® (2016). The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Bible Hub |