1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

A name is chosen rather than much wealth, Than silver and than gold -- good grace.

2 T he rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

Rich and poor have met together, The Maker of them all Jehovah.

3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

The prudent hath seen the evil, and is hidden, And the simple have passed on, and are punished.

4 B y humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

The end of humility the fear of Jehovah, Riches, and honour, and life.

5 T horns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Thorns -- snares in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

6 T rain up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Give instruction to a youth about his way, Even when he is old he turneth not from it.

7 T he rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant the borrower to the lender.

8 H e that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

Whoso is sowing perverseness reapeth sorrow, And the rod of his anger weareth out.

9 H e that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

The good of eye -- he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

10 C ast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

Cast out a scorner -- and contention goeth out, And strife and shame cease.

11 H e that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace his lips, a king his friend.

12 T he eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

The eyes of Jehovah have kept knowledge, And He overthroweth the words of the treacherous.

13 T he slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

The slothful hath said, `A lion without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

14 T he mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein.

A deep pit the mouth of strange women, The abhorred of Jehovah falleth there.

15 F oolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Folly is bound up in the heart of a youth, The rod of chastisement putteth it far from him.

16 H e that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

He is oppressing the poor to multiply to him, He is giving to the rich -- only to want.

17 B ow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

Incline thine ear, and hear words of the wise, And thy heart set to my knowledge,

18 F or it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

For they are pleasant when thou dost keep them in thy heart, They are prepared together for thy lips.

19 T hat thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I caused thee to know to-day, even thou.

20 H ave not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

Have I not written to thee three times With counsels and knowledge?

21 t hat 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?

To cause thee to know the certainty of sayings of truth, To return sayings of truth to those sending thee.

22 R ob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Rob not the poor because he poor, And bruise not the afflicted in the gate.

23 f or the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

For Jehovah pleadeth their cause, And hath spoiled the soul of their spoilers.

24 M ake no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

Shew not thyself friendly with an angry man, And with a man of fury go not in,

25 l est thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Lest thou learn his paths, And have received a snare to thy soul.

26 B e not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties burdens.

27 I f thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

If thou hast nothing to pay, Why doth he take thy bed from under thee?

28 R emove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Remove not a border of olden times, That thy fathers have made.

29 S eest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Hast thou seen a man speedy in his business? Before kings he doth station himself, He stations not himself before obscure men!