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On Life and Conduct

¹ A ^(C1)good name earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity is more desirable than great riches;
And favor is better than silver and gold.

² The rich and poor have a common bond;
The LORD is the ^(C1)Maker of them all. ^(VR1)

³ A ^(C1)prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil of sin and hides himself from it,
But the naive continue on and are punished by suffering the consequences of sin.

⁴ The reward of humility that is, having a realistic view of one's importance and the reverent, worshipful fear of the LORD
Is riches, honor, and life. ^(VR1)

^5 (C1)Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them;
He who guards himself with godly wisdom will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

^6 (C1)Train up a child in the way he should go teaching him to seek God's wisdom and will for his abilities and talents,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it. ^(VR1)

⁷ The ^(C1)rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸ He who ^(C1)sows injustice will reap a harvest of trouble,
And the ^(C2)rod of his wrath with which he oppresses others will fail.

⁹ He who is ^(C1)generous will be blessed,
For he ^(C2)gives some of his food to the poor. ^(VR1)

^10 (C1)Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go away;
Even strife and dishonor will cease.

¹¹ He who loves ^(C1)purity of heart
And whose speech is ^(C2)gracious will have the king as his friend.

¹² The eyes of the LORD keep guard over knowledge and the one who has it,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous.

¹³ The ^(C1)lazy one manufactures excuses and says, "There is a lion outside!
I will be killed in the streets if I go out to work!"

¹⁴ The mouth of ^(C1)an immoral woman is a deep pit deep and inescapable;
He who is ^(C2)cursed by the LORD because of his adulterous sin will fall into it.

¹⁵ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The ^(C1)rod of discipline correction administered with godly wisdom and lovingkindness will remove it far from him.

¹⁶ He ^(C1)who oppresses or exploits the poor to get more for himself
Or who gives to the rich to gain influence and favor, will ^(C2)only come to poverty.

^17 (C1)Listen carefully and hear the ^(F1)words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;

¹⁸ For it will be ^(C1)pleasant if you keep them in mind incorporating them as guiding principles;
Let them be ready on your lips to guide and strengthen yourself and others.

¹⁹ So that your ^(C1)trust and reliance and confidence may be in the LORD,
I have taught these things to you today, even to you.

²⁰ Have I not written to you ^(C1)excellent things
In counsels and knowledge,

²¹ To let you ^(C1)know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may give a ^(C2)correct answer to him who sent you? ^(VR1)

^22 (C1)Do not rob the poor because he is poor and defenseless,
Nor ^(C2)crush the afflicted by legal proceedings at the gate where the city court is held, ^(VR1)

²³ For the LORD will ^(C1)plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them. ^(VR1)

²⁴ Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts;
Or go along with a ^(C1)hot-tempered man,

²⁵ Or you will ^(C1)learn his undisciplined ways
And get yourself trapped in a situation from which it is hard to escape.

²⁶ Do not be among those who ^(C1)give pledges involving themselves in others' finances,
Or among those who become guarantors for others' debts.

²⁷ If you have nothing with which to pay another's debt when he defaults,
Why should his creditor ^(C1)take your bed from under you?

^28 (C1)Do not move the ancient landmark at the boundary of the property
Which your fathers have set.

²⁹ Do you see a man skillful and experienced in his work?
He will ^(C1)stand in honor before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.