Proverbs 22:1-16
Proverbs 22:1-16 The Message (MSG)
A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank. The rich and the poor shake hands as equals— GOD made them both! A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-GOD is plenty and honor and a satisfying life. The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick; if you know what’s good for you, stay clear of it. Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost. The poor are always ruled over by the rich, so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power. Whoever sows sin reaps weeds, and bullying anger sputters into nothing. Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down; you need a break from bickering and griping! GOD loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken; good leaders also delight in their friendship. GOD guards knowledge with a passion, but he’ll have nothing to do with deception. The loafer says, “There’s a lion on the loose! If I go out I’ll be eaten alive!” The mouth of a prostitute is a bottomless pit; you’ll fall in that pit if you’re on the outs with GOD. Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline. Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever, you’ll end up the poorer for it.
Proverbs 22:1-16 King James Version (KJV)
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: The LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: But the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, and honour, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: He that doth keep his soul shall be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it. The rich ruleth over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: And the rod of his anger shall fail. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; Yea, strife and reproach shall cease. He that loveth pureness of heart, For the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, And he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, And he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
Proverbs 22:1-16 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all. The prudent sees the evil and hides himself, But the naive go on, and are punished for it. The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards himself will be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave. He who sows iniquity will reap vanity, And the rod of his fury will perish. He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease. He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man. The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!” The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; He who is cursed of the LORD will fall into it. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him. He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself Or who gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:1-16 New Century Version (NCV)
Being respected is more important than having great riches. To be well thought of is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor are alike in that the LORD made them all. The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble. Respecting the LORD and not being proud will bring you wealth, honor, and life. Evil people’s lives are like paths covered with thorns and traps. People who guard themselves don’t have such problems. Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it. The rich rule over the poor, and borrowers are servants to lenders. Those who plan evil will receive trouble. Their cruel anger will come to an end. Generous people will be blessed, because they share their food with the poor. Get rid of the one who makes fun of wisdom. Then fighting, quarrels, and insults will stop. Whoever loves pure thoughts and kind words will have even the king as a friend. The LORD guards knowledge, but he destroys false words. The lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside! I might get killed out in the street!” The words of an unfaithful wife are like a deep trap. Those who make the LORD angry will get caught by them. Every child is full of foolishness, but punishment can get rid of it. Whoever gets rich by mistreating the poor, and gives presents to the wealthy, will become poor.
Proverbs 22:1-16 American Standard Version (ASV)
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favor rather than silver and gold. The rich and the poor meet together: Jehovah is the maker of them all. A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it. The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah Is riches, and honor, and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender. He that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity; And the rod of his wrath shall fail. He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor. Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out; Yea, strife and ignominy will cease. He that loveth pureness of heart, For the grace of his lips the king will be his friend. The eyes of Jehovah preserve him that hath knowledge; But he overthroweth the words of the treacherous man. The sluggard saith, There is a lion without; I shall be slain in the streets. The mouth of strange women is a deep pit; He that is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall therein. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his gain, And he that giveth to the rich, shall come only to want.
Proverbs 22:1-16 New International Version (NIV)
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life. In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls, but those who would preserve their life stay far from them. Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken. The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor. Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace will have the king for a friend. The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful. The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!” The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit; a man who is under the LORD’s wrath falls into it. Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away. One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:1-16 New King James Version (NKJV)
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease. He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend. The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless. The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:1-16 Amplified Bible (AMP)
A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold. The rich and poor have a common bond; The LORD is the Maker of them all. [Job 31:15; Prov 14:31] A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it], But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin]. The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the LORD Is riches, honor, and life. [Prov 21:21] Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate [for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them]; He who guards himself [with godly wisdom] will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer. Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 3:15] The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. He who sows injustice will reap [a harvest of] trouble, And the rod of his wrath [with which he oppresses others] will fail. He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. [2 Cor 9:6-10] Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go away; Even strife and dishonor will cease. He who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend. The eyes of the LORD keep guard over knowledge and the one who has it, But He overthrows the words of the treacherous. The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!” The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit [deep and inescapable]; He who is cursed by the LORD [because of his adulterous sin] will fall into it. Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline [correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness] will remove it far from him. He who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself Or who gives to the rich [to gain influence and favor], will only come to poverty.
Proverbs 22:1-16 New Living Translation (NLT)
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both. A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life. Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end. Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor. Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too. Quarrels and insults will disappear. Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech will have the king as a friend. The LORD preserves those with knowledge, but he ruins the plans of the treacherous. The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!” The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap; those who make the LORD angry will fall into it. A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away. A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Proverbs 22:1-16 The Passion Translation (TPT)
A beautiful reputation is more to be desired than great riches, and to be esteemed by others is more honorable than to own immense investments. The rich and the poor have one thing in common: the Lord God created each one. A prudent person with insight foresees danger coming and prepares himself for it. But the senseless rush blindly forward and suffer the consequences. Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward. Twisted and perverse lives are surrounded by demonic influence. If you value your soul, stay far away from them. Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life. If you borrow money with interest, you’ll end up serving the interests of your creditors, for the rich rule over the poor. Sin is a seed that brings a harvest; you’ll reap a heap of trouble with every seed you plant. For your investment in sins pays a full return— the full punishment you deserve! When you are generous to the poor, you are enriched with blessings in return. Say goodbye to a troublemaker and you’ll say goodbye to quarrels, strife, tension, and arguments, for a troublemaker traffics in shame. The Lord loves those whose hearts are holy, and he is the friend of those whose ways are pure. God passionately watches over his deep reservoir of revelation-knowledge, but he subverts the lies of those who pervert the truth. A slacker always has an excuse for not working— like “I can’t go to work. There’s a lion outside! And murderers too!” Sex with an adulteress is like falling into the abyss. Those under God’s curse jump right in to their own destruction. Although rebellion is woven into a young man’s heart, tough discipline can make him into a man. There are two kinds of people headed toward poverty: those who exploit the poor and those who bribe the rich.
Proverbs 22:1-16 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the LORD is the Maker of them all. The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of his fury will fail. Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend. The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the traitor. The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!” The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he with whom the LORD is angry will fall into it. Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth, or gives to the rich, will only come to poverty.