22

  1美名勝過大財，
  宏恩強如金銀。
   2有錢人與窮乏人相遇⚓，
  他們都為耶和華所造。
   3通達人見禍就藏躲；
  愚蒙人卻前往受害。
   4敬畏耶和華心存謙卑，
  就得財富、尊榮、生命為賞賜。
   5歪曲的人路上有荊棘和羅網，
  保護自己生命的，必要遠離。
   6教養孩童走當行的道，
  就是到老他也不偏離。⚓
   7有錢人管轄窮乏人，
  欠債的是債主的僕人。
   8撒不義種子的必收割災禍，
  他逞怒的杖也必廢掉。
   9眼目仁慈的必蒙福，
  因他將食物分給貧寒人。
   10趕出傲慢人，爭端就消除，
  紛爭和羞辱也必止息。
   11喜愛清心，嘴唇有恩言的，
  王必與他為友。
   12耶和華的眼目保護知識，
  卻毀壞奸詐人的言語。
   13懶惰人說：「外面有獅子，
  我在街上必被殺害。」
   14陌生女子的口是深坑，
  耶和華所憎惡的，必陷在其中。
   15愚昧迷住孩童的心，
  用管教的杖可以遠遠趕除。
   16欺壓貧寒人為要利己的，
  並送禮給有錢人的，都必缺乏。

智言三十則

  17你要側耳聽智慧人的言語⚓，
  留心領會我的知識。
   18你若心中存記，
  嘴唇也準備就緒，這是美的。
   19我今日特地指教你，
  為要使你倚靠耶和華。
   20謀略和知識的美事⚓，
  我豈沒有寫給你嗎？
   21要使你明白真情實理，
  好將實情回覆那差你來的人。

   22不可因人貧寒就搶奪他，
  也不可在城門口欺壓困苦人，
   23因耶和華必為他們辯護，
  也必奪取那搶奪者的命。
   24不可結交好生氣的人，
  也不可與暴怒的人來往，
   25恐怕你效法他的行為，
  自己就陷在圈套裏。
   26不要為人擊掌擔保，
  也不要為債務作保。
   27你若沒有甚麼可償還，
  何必使人奪去你睡臥的床呢？
   28祖先所立的地界，
  你不可挪移。
   29你看見辦事殷勤的人嗎？
  他必侍立在君王面前，
  不在平庸的人面前。

22

  1A ⚓good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
   Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
   2The ⚓rich and the poor have this in common,
   The ⚓Lordis the maker of them all.
   3A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
   But the simple pass on and are ⚓punished.
   4By humility and the fear of the Lord
   Are riches and honor and life.
   5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
   He who guards his soul will be far from them.
   6⚓Train up a child in the way he should go,
   And when he is old he will not depart from it.
   7The ⚓rich rules over the poor,
   And the borrower is servant to the lender.
   8He who sows iniquity will reap ⚓sorrow,
   And the rod of his anger will fail.
   9⚓He who has a generous eye will be ⚓blessed,
   For he gives of his bread to the poor.
   10⚓Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
   Yes, strife and reproach will cease.
   11⚓He who loves purity of heart
   And has grace on his lips,
   The king will be his friend.
   12The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge,
   But He overthrows the words of the faithless.
   13⚓The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!
   I shall be slain in the streets!”
   14⚓The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
   ⚓He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there.
   15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
   ⚓The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
   16He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
   And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise

  17Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
   And apply your heart to my knowledge;
    18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
   Let them all be fixed upon your lips,
    19So that your trust may be in the Lord;
   I have instructed you today, even you.
    20Have I not written to you excellent things
   Of counsels and knowledge,
    21⚓That 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?
   22Do not rob the ⚓poor because he is poor,
   Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
    23⚓For the Lord will plead their cause,
   And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.
   24Make no friendship with an angry man,
   And with a ⚓furious man do not go,
    25Lest you learn his ways
   And set a snare for your soul.
   26⚓Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,
   One of those who is surety for debts;
    27If you have nothing with which to pay,
   Why should he take away your bed from under you?
   28⚓Do not remove the ancient landmark
   Which your fathers have set.
   29Do you see a man who excels in his work?
   He will stand before kings;
   He will not stand before unknown men.