Proverbs 22:1-23

A good reputation is better than much wealth; high esteem is better than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both. Prudent people see trouble and hide, while the simpleminded go right to it and get punished. The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD is wealth, honor, and life. Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked; those who guard their lives keep their distance. Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it. The wealthy rule over the poor; a borrower is a slave to a lender. Those who sow injustice will harvest evil; the rod of their fury will come to an end. Happy are generous people, because they give some of their food to the poor. Remove the mocker and conflict disappears; judgment and shame also stop. Those who love a pure heart— their speech is gracious, and the king is their friend. The LORD’s eyes protect knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the treacherous. A lazy person says, “There’s a lion in the street! I’ll be killed in the town square!” The mouth of a mysterious woman is a deep pit; those under the LORD’s wrath will fall in it. Folly is bound up in a child’s heart; the rod of discipline removes it. Oppressing the poor to get rich and giving to the wealthy lead only to poverty. Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise; focus your mind on my knowledge. It will be pleasant if you keep the words in you, if you have them ready on your lips. So that your trust will be in the LORD, I’m teaching you today—yes, you. Haven’t I written for you thirty sayings full of advice and knowledge? Their purpose is to teach you true, reliable words, so you can report back reliably to those who sent you. Don’t steal from the poor, because they are poor. Don’t oppress the needy in the gate. The LORD will take up their case and press the life out of those who oppress them.