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

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

2 T he rich and the poor have this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all.

The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

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

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

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

By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.

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

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be 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.

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

7 T he rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 H e who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail.

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9 H e who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

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

10 C ast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

11 H e who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.

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

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

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

13 T he lazy man says, “ There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”

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

14 T he mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.

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

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

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

16 H e who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. Sayings of the Wise

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

17 I ncline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge;

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

18 F or it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

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

19 S o that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you.

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

20 H ave I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

21 T hat I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you?

that 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?

22 D o not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23 F or the Lord will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

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

24 M ake no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go,

Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

25 L est you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.

lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 D o not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts;

Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

27 I f you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under you?

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

28 D o not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set.

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29 D o you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

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