PROVERBS 22 I� POETRYBy Glenn Pease

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Better than great riches is having a good name,

Gold and silver are precious, but it's just not the same.

Wealth may get you every thing that you've dreamed,

But only your good name can get you esteemed.

2 Rich and poor have this in common:

The LORD is the Maker of them all.

The rich and poor have this in common from the fall,

The Lord God creator is the Maker of them all.

3 A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,

but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

The prudent man sees the sign Bridge out ahead

And quickly chooses to takes another road instead.

But the simple minded, when the same sign is read,

Speeds right on going, and ends up dead.

4 Humility and the fear of the LORD

bring wealth and honor and life.

If you live a humble life in the fear of the Lord

You will have greater values than any can afford.

5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,

but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

If you follow the path of the wicked you will find much that hurts,

But the wise guards his soul, and away from all such paths he skirts.

6 Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he grows up, the right way he will know.

7 The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is servant to the lender.

This is an obvious observation

We can accept without reservation.

It is those who have the wealth to lend,

Who are rulers of us, and not our friend.

8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,

and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

He who sows wickedness will reap from bad seed,

A life filled with heartache, sorrow and need,

And all the anger and violence employed

Will come back on him till he is destroyed.

9 A generous man will himself be blessed,

for he shares his food with the poor.

The generous man will reap reward,

For he shares what others cannot afford.

He has all that he needs and more,

So he shares his abundance with the poor.

10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrels and insults are ended.

Get the mocker out of your life,

And with him will go the strife.

Quarrels and insults leave people offended,

But get rid of this mocker and all that is ended.

11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious

will have the king for his friend.

When you love what is pure and say things with grace,

The king himself will speak with you face to face.

12 The eyes of the LORD keep watch over knowledge,

but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

God loves to watch the speech of a man with true knowledge,

But he turns off the speaker, and the unfaithful he'll not acknowledge.

13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside!"

or, "I will be murdered in the streets!"

The lazy man says, “I can't work today,

There is a dangerous lion blocking my way.”

Or, “I dare not take the kids out for treats.

For there could be a murdered roaming the streets.”

14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.

(�ote: This verse is already a rhyme.)

15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

In the heart of the child folly is bound,

So the rod of discipline needs to be found,

To drive it away till his behavior is sound.

Then parents will be happy to have him around.

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

The man who takes from the poor to increase his wealth,

Is completely lacking in any spiritual health.

And likewise the fool who sees the needs of the poor,

But brings his gifts instead to the rich man's door.

They are already lost in poverty of soul,

But to bring them down completely is God's ultimate goal.

Sayings of the Wise

17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.

19 So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I teach you today, even you.

Sit up and listen, and don't close your eyes,

I am going to teach you the sayings of the wise.

God wants you to have these sayings memorized

So you can speak them when the right time arrives.

The goal is that in the Lord your trust will ever be,

So that's why I teach you, even you, do you see?

20 Have I not written thirty [b] sayings for you,

sayings of counsel and knowledge,

21 teaching you true and reliable words,

so that you can give sound answers

to him who sent you?

I'm starting off with thirty sayings for you,

Sayings of counsel and knowledge that's true.

These reliable words will give you answers so sound,

The one who sent you will think you're profound.

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

and do not crush the needy in court,

23 for the LORD will take up their case

and will plunder those who plunder them.

Don't make exploiting the poor a sport,

And don't crush the needy in court.

For the Lord will see such actions so base,

He will become the judge in this case.

He will not treat you as some treat a pet,

But he will take more away than you'll ever get.

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man,

do not associate with one easily angered,

25 or you may learn his ways

and get yourself ensnared.

Do not make friends with a hot tempered man,

But break off all associations as soon as you can.

Don't even hang around one easily made mad,

For you may become like him; ever so sad.

26 Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge

or puts up security for debts;

27 if you lack the means to pay,

your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Be careful in the kinds of financial deals that you make,

And if you don't have the resources, that deal then forsake.

For if you can't pay when the payment is due,

Everything that you own, they may take away from you.

28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone

set up by your forefathers.

Do not move and ancient boundary stone,

For it is not a matter to be guided on your own.

It is a matter of respect for your forefather's will.

So leave them where they chose, and let them be still.

29 Do you see a man skilled in his work?

He will serve before kings;

he will not serve before obscure men.

When you see a man who is wondrously skilled,

He will not serve in a position easily filled,

But he will rise to the top of things

And serve with such skill before the kings.