King James Version of the Holy Bible

Chapter 22

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. ²The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. ³A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. ⁴By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life. 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: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ⁷The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. ⁸He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail. ⁹He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. ¹⁰Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease. ¹¹He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. ¹²The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor. ¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. ¹⁴The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein. ¹⁵Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. ¹⁶He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. ¹⁷Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. ¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. ¹⁹That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. ²⁰Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels 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? ²²Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: ²³For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. ²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: ²⁵Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. ²⁶Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. ²⁷If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? ²⁸Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. ²⁹Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.