The Wallet on the Path
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1 KJV
This is an original fictional illustration, not a historical report or an added Bible event.
Leah found a wallet near the school gate. Inside were some notes and a card with a name. Her friend said they could buy snacks before anyone noticed.
Leah took the wallet to the office. She did not know whether the owner would thank her. Keeping the money would have given her something for a day and taken something more important from her character.
Proverbs 22:1 teaches that a good name is worth more than riches. Honesty is not a trick for getting a reward. It is right even when no reward comes. Choose a trustworthy life over a quick gain that depends on someone else's loss.
Keep the passage in context
Proverbs values a good name above riches. A trustworthy reputation has worth that possessions cannot replace. This is not an instruction to protect appearances by concealing wrongdoing.
Read further: Proverbs 22 in the King James Bible.