English Standard Version

King James Bible

1A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

1A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all.

2The rich and 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.

3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.

4By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

5Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them.

5Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

6Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

6Train up a child in the way he should go: and 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.

7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail.

8He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

11He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

11He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor.

12The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

13The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”

13The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

14The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry will fall into it.

14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

15Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.

16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

17Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge,

17Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

18for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

19That your trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to you today, even to you.

19That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

20Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,

20Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

21to make you know what is right and true, that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

21That 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?

22Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate,

22Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23for the LORD will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them.

23For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

24Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

25lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

25Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26Be not one of those who give pledges, who put up security for debts.

26Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

27If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

27If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28Do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.

28Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

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.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.