| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. | 1A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold. |
| 2The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all. | 2The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both. |
| 3A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. | 3A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished. |
| 4By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life. | 4The result of humility is fear of the LORD, along with wealth, honor, and life. |
| 5Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. | 5There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. |
| 6Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. | 6Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. |
| 7The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. | 7The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender. |
| 8He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, And the rod of his anger will fail. | 8The one who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. |
| 9He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. | 9A generous person will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. |
| 10Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease. | 10Drive out a mocker, and conflict goes too; then quarreling and dishonor will cease. |
| 11He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend. | 11The one who loves a pure heart and gracious lips--the king is his friend. |
| 12The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless. | 12The LORD's eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He overthrows the words of the treacherous. |
| 13The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” | 13The slacker says, "There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!" |
| 14The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there. | 14The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit; a man cursed by the LORD will fall into it. |
| 15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. | 15Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth; the rod of discipline will drive it away from him. |
| 16He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. | 16Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich--both lead only to poverty. |
| 17Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; | 17Listen closely, pay attention to the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge. |
| 18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips, | 18For it is pleasing if you keep them within you and if they are constantly on your lips. |
| 19So that your trust may be in the LORD; I have instructed you today, even you. | 19I have instructed you today--even you-- so that your confidence may be in the LORD. |
| 20Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, | 20Haven't I written for you thirty sayings about counsel and knowledge, |
| 21That 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? | 21in order to teach you true and reliable words, so that you may give a dependable report to those who sent you? |
| 22Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; | 22Don't rob a poor man because he is poor, and don't crush the oppressed at the gate, |
| 23For the LORD will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them. | 23for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. |
| 24Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, | 24Don't make friends with an angry man, and don't be a companion of a hot-tempered man, |
| 25Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul. | 25or you will learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. |
| 26Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts; | 26Don't be one of those who enter agreements, who put up security for loans. |
| 27If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under you? | 27If you have no money to pay, even your bed will be taken from under you. |
| 28Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set. | 28Don't move an ancient boundary marker that your fathers set up. |
| 29Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men. | 29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. He will not stand in the presence of unknown men. |
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