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22A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
   and favour is better than silver or gold.
² The rich and the poor have this in common:
   the Lord is the maker of them all.
³ The clever see danger and hide;
   but the simple go on, and suffer for it.
⁴ The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
   is riches and honour and life.
⁵ Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
   the cautious will keep far from them.
⁶ Train children in the right way,
   and when old, they will not stray.
⁷ The rich rules over the poor,
   and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸ Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
   and the rod of anger will fail.
⁹ Those who are generous are blessed,
   for they share their bread with the poor.
¹⁰ Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
   quarrelling and abuse will cease.
¹¹ Those who love a pure heart and are gracious in speech
   will have the king as a friend.
¹² The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
   but he overthrows the words of the faithless.
¹³ The lazy person says, ‘There is a lion outside!
   I shall be killed in the streets!’
¹⁴ The mouth of a loose^* woman is a deep pit;
   he with whom the Lord is angry falls into it.
¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a boy,
   but the rod of discipline drives it far away.
¹⁶ Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
   and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss.

Sayings of the Wise

¹⁷   The words of the wise:

Incline your ear and hear my words,^*
   and apply your mind to my teaching;
¹⁸ for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
   if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹ So that your trust may be in the Lord,
   I have made them known to you today—yes, to you.
²⁰ Have I not written for you thirty sayings
   of admonition and knowledge,
²¹ to show you what is right and true,
   so that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

²² Do not rob the poor because they are poor,
   or crush the afflicted at the gate;
²³ for the Lord pleads their cause
   and despoils of life those who despoil them.
²⁴ Make no friends with those given to anger,
   and do not associate with hotheads,
²⁵ or you may learn their ways
   and entangle yourself in a snare.
²⁶ Do not be one of those who give pledges,
   who become surety for debts.
²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay,
   why should your bed be taken from under you?
²⁸ Do not remove the ancient landmark
   that your ancestors set up.
²⁹ Do you see those who are skilful in their work?
   They will serve kings;
   they will not serve common people.