Proverbs 22:2-16

English Standard Version

^2 (A)The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is ^(B)the Maker of them all.
^3 (C)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴ The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is ^(D)riches and honor and life.^[a]
5 (E)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
    whoever ^(F)guards his soul will keep far from them.
^6 (G)Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.
^7 (H)The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸ Whoever ^(I)sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and ^(J)the rod of his fury will fail.
^9 (K)Whoever has a bountiful^[b] eye will be blessed,
    for he ^(L)shares his bread with the poor.
^10 (M)Drive out a scoffer, ^(N)and strife will go out,
    and ^(O)quarreling and abuse will cease.
¹¹ He who ^(P)loves purity of heart,
    and whose ^(Q)speech is gracious, ^(R)will have the king as his friend.
¹² The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he ^(S)overthrows the words of the traitor.
^13 (T)The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴ The mouth of ^(U)forbidden^[c] women is ^(V)a deep pit;
    ^(W)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but ^(X)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
¹⁶ Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, ^(Y)will only come to poverty.