1 A good reputation is rather to be chosen than great riches and good grace rather than silver and gold. 2 The rich and poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and receive hurt. 4 Riches and honour and life are the remuneration of humility and of the fear of the LORD. 5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he that keeps his soul shall be far from them. 6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. 8 He that sows iniquity shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his anger shall fail. 9 He that has a merciful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the destitute. 10 Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; strife and reproach shall cease. 11 He that loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. 12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthrows the words of the transgressor. 13 The slothful man says, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. 14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit; he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein. 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 16 He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches and who gives to the rich shall surely come to want.
17 Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my wisdom. 18 For it is a delightful thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall be ordered together in thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. 20 Have I not written unto thee three times in counsels and knowledge, 21 that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to those that send unto thee?
22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither destroy the destitute in judgment: 23 For the LORD will judge their cause and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. 24 Do not meddle with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways and get a snare to thy soul. 26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should they take away thy bed from under thee? 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set. 29 Seest thou a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.