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Proverbs 22
New King James Version

### The Value of a Good Name

22 A (A)good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 The (B)rich and the poor have this in common,
The (C)Lord is the maker of them all.

3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are (D)punished.

4 By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

6 (E)Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 The (F)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 He who sows iniquity will reap (G)sorrow,[b]
And the rod of his anger will fail.

9 (H)He who has a [c]generous eye will be (I)blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

10 (J)Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

11 (K)He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

13 (L)The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be slain in the streets!”

14 (M)The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
(N)He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
(O)The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

### Sayings of the Wise

17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;
18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.
20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
21 (P)That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
(Q)That you may answer words of truth
To those who [d]send to you?

22 Do not rob the (R)poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
23 (S)For the Lord will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

24 Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a (T)furious man do not go,
25 Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

26 (U)Do not be one of those who [e]shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is [f]surety for debts;
27 If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

28 (V)Do not remove the ancient [g]landmark
Which your fathers have set.

29 Do you see a man who [h]excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before [i]unknown men.

#### Footnotes

1. Proverbs 22:6 Even
2. Proverbs 22:8 trouble
3. Proverbs 22:9 Lit. good
4. Proverbs 22:21 Or send you
5. Proverbs 22:26 Lit. strikes
6. Proverbs 22:26 guaranty
7. Proverbs 22:28 boundary
8. Proverbs 22:29 is prompt in his business
9. Proverbs 22:29 obscure

#### Cross references

1. Proverbs 22:1 : [Prov. 10:7]; Eccl. 7:1
2. Proverbs 22:2 : Prov. 29:13
3. Proverbs 22:2 : Job 31:15; [Prov. 14:31]
4. Proverbs 22:3 : Prov. 27:12; Is. 26:20
5. Proverbs 22:6 : Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:15
6. Proverbs 22:7 : Prov. 18:23; James 2:6
7. Proverbs 22:8 : Job 4:8
8. Proverbs 22:9 : 2 Cor. 9:6
9. Proverbs 22:9 : [Prov. 19:17]
10. Proverbs 22:10 : Ps. 101:5
11. Proverbs 22:11 : Ps. 101:6
12. Proverbs 22:13 : Prov. 26:13
13. Proverbs 22:14 : Prov. 2:16; 5:3; 7:5
14. Proverbs 22:14 : Eccl. 7:26
15. Proverbs 22:15 : Prov. 13:24; 23:13, 14
16. Proverbs 22:21 : Luke 1:3, 4
17. Proverbs 22:21 : Prov. 25:13; 1 Pet. 3:15
18. Proverbs 22:22 : Ex. 23:6; Job 31:16–21; Zech. 7:10
19. Proverbs 22:23 : 1 Sam. 24:12; Ps. 12:5; 140:12
20. Proverbs 22:24 : Prov. 29:22
21. Proverbs 22:26 : Prov. 11:15
22. Proverbs 22:28 : Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Prov. 23:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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