| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. | 1A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold. |
| 2The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. | 2The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both. |
| 3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. | 3A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished. |
| 4By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. | 4The result of humility is fear of the LORD, along with wealth, honor, and life. |
| 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. | 5There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. |
| 6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. | 6Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. |
| 7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. | 7The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender. |
| 8He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. | 8The one who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. |
| 9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. | 9A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. |
| 10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. | 10Drive out a mocker, and conflict goes too; then quarreling and dishonor will cease. |
| 11He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. | 11The one who loves a pure heart and gracious lips--the king is his friend. |
| 12The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. | 12The LORD's eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous. |
| 13The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. | 13The slacker says, "There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!" |
| 14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. | 14The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit; a man cursed by the LORD will fall into it. |
| 15Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. | 15Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth; the rod of discipline will drive it away from him. |
| 16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. | 16Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich--both lead only to poverty. |
| 17Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. | 17Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge. |
| 18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. | 18For it is pleasing if you keep them within you and if they are constantly on your lips. |
| 19That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. | 19I have instructed you today--even you-- so that your confidence may be in the LORD. |
| 20Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, | 20Haven't I written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge, |
| 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? | 21in order to teach you true and reliable words, so that you may give a dependable report to those who sent you? |
| 22Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: | 22Don't rob a poor man because he is poor, and don't crush the oppressed at the gate, |
| 23For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. | 23for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. |
| 24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: | 24Don't make friends with an angry man, and don't be a companion of a hot-tempered man, |
| 25Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. | 25or you will learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. |
| 26Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. | 26Don't be one of those who enter agreements, who put up security for loans. |
| 27If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? | 27If you have no money to pay, even your bed will be taken from under you. |
| 28Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. | 28Don't move an ancient boundary marker that your fathers set up. |
| 29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men. | 29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of unknown men. |
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