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Proverbs chapter 22 in Hebrew and English

29 verses, about 3 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

נִבְחָר שֵׁם מֵעֹשֶׁר רָב מִכֶּסֶף וּמִזָּהָב חֵן טֽוֹב׃

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, And loving favour rather than silver and gold.

עָשִׁיר וָרָשׁ נִפְגָּשׁוּ עֹשֵׂה כֻלָּם יְהוָֽה׃

The rich and the poor meet together - The LORD is the maker of them all.

עָרוּם רָאָה רָעָה וְנִסְתָּר וּפְתָיִים עָבְרוּ וְֽנֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ׃

A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the thoughtless pass on, and are punished.

עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד וְחַיִּֽים׃

The reward of humility is the fear of the LORD, Even riches, and honour, and life.

צִנִּים פַּחִים בְּדֶרֶךְ עִקֵּשׁ שׁוֹמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ יִרְחַק מֵהֶֽם׃

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; He that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל־פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּי־יַזְקִין לֹא־יָסוּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

עָשִׁיר בְּרָשִׁים יִמְשׁוֹל וְעֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶֽה׃

The rich ruleth over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

זוֹרֵעַ עַוְלָה יִקְצָר־אָוֶן וְשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ יִכְלֶֽה׃

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity; And the rod of his wrath shall fail.

טוֹב־עַיִן הוּא יְבֹרָךְ כִּי־נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּֽל׃

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor.

גָּרֵשׁ לֵץ וְיֵצֵא מָדוֹן וְיִשְׁבֹּת דִּין וְקָלֽוֹן׃

Cast out the scorner, and contention will go out; Yea, strife and shame will cease.

אֹהֵב טְהָר־לֵב חֵן שְׂפָתָיו רֵעֵהוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃

He that loveth pureness of heart, That hath grace in his lips, the king shall be his friend.

עֵינֵי יְהוָה נָצְרוּ דָעַת וַיְסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי בֹגֵֽד׃

The eyes of the LORD preserve him that hath knowledge, But He overthroweth the words of the faithless man.

אָמַר עָצֵל אֲרִי בַחוּץ בְּתוֹךְ רְחֹבוֹת אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ׃

The sluggard saith: ‘There is a lion without; I shall be slain in the streets.’

שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה פִּי זָרוֹת זְעוּם יְהוָה יִפָּל־שָֽׁם׃

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: He that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

אִוֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָה בְלֶב־נָעַר שֵׁבֶט מוּסָר יַרְחִיקֶנָּה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; But the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

עֹשֵׁק דָּל לְהַרְבּוֹת לוֹ נֹתֵן לְעָשִׁיר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

One may oppress the poor, yet will their gain increase; One may give to the rich, yet will want come.

הַט אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְלִבְּךָ תָּשִׁית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, And apply thy heart unto my knowledge.

כִּי־נָעִים כִּי־תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ יִכֹּנוּ יַחְדָּו עַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; Let them be established altogether upon thy lips.

לִהְיוֹת בַּיהוָה מִבְטַחֶךָ הוֹדַעְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם אַף־אָֽתָּה׃

That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee.

הֲלֹא כָתַבְתִּי לְךָ שָׁלִישִׁים בְּמוֹעֵצֹת וָדָֽעַת׃

Have not I written unto thee excellent things Of counsels and knowledge;

לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶֽיךָ׃

That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, That thou mightest bring back words of truth to them that send thee?

אַל־תִּגְזָל־דָּל כִּי דַל־הוּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא עָנִי בַשָּֽׁעַר׃

Rob not the weak, because he is weak, Neither crush the poor in the gate;

כִּי־יְהוָה יָרִיב רִיבָם וְקָבַע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָֽפֶשׁ׃

For the LORD will plead their cause, And despoil of life those that despoil them.

אַל־תִּתְרַע אֶת־בַּעַל אָף וְאֶת־אִישׁ חֵמוֹת לֹא תָבֽוֹא׃

Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go;

פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף אֹרְחֹתָיו וְלָקַחְתָּ מוֹקֵשׁ לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Lest thou learn his ways, And get a snare to thy soul.

אַל־תְּהִי בְתֹקְעֵי־כָף בַּעֹרְבִים מַשָּׁאֽוֹת׃

Be thou not of them that strike hands, Or of them that are sureties for debts;

אִם־אֵין־לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם לָמָּה יִקַּח מִשְׁכָּבְךָ מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃

If thou hast not wherewith to pay, Why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set.

חָזִיתָ אִישׁ מָהִיר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ לִפְנֵי־מְלָכִים יִתְיַצָּב בַּל־יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי חֲשֻׁכִּֽים׃

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 22 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 29 verses, 225 words, about 3 minutes to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 22 have?

Proverbs chapter 22 has 29 verses and 225 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 22 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words נבחר שם מעשר רב.

Where does Proverbs chapter 22 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 22 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 22?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.