Proverbs 19
Complete Jewish Bible
19 Better to be poor and live one’s life uprightly
than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.
2 To act without knowing how you function is not good;
and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.
3 A person’s own folly is what ruins his way,
but he rages in his heart against Adonai.
4 Wealth brings in many friends,
but the poor man loses the one friend he has.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished;
whoever breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many ask favors of a generous person —
to a giver of gifts, everyone is a friend.
7 A poor man’s relatives all hate him;
even more his friends stay away from him.
He may pursue them with entreaties,
but they aren’t there to be found.
8 To acquire good sense is to love oneself;
to treasure discernment is to prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished;
whoever breathes out lies will perish.
10 It isn’t fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
and even less for a slave to govern princes.
11 People with good sense are slow to anger,
and it is their glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A son who is a fool is his father’s ruin,
and a nagging wife is like a leak that keeps dripping.
14 A house and wealth are inherited from ancestors,
but a sensible wife is from Adonai.
15 Laziness makes people fall asleep,
and an idle person will go hungry.
16 He who keeps a mitzvah keeps himself safe,
but he who doesn’t care how he lives will die.
17 He who is kind to the poor is lending to Adonai;
and he will repay him for his good deed.
18 Discipline your child while there is hope,
but don’t get so angry that you kill him!
19 A violent-tempered person will be punished;
if you try to save him from it, you make things worse.
20 Listen to advice, and accept discipline,
so that in the end you will be wise.
21 One can devise many plans in one’s mind,
but Adonai’s plan will prevail.
22 A man’s lust is his shame,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of Adonai leads to life;
one who has it is satisfied and rests untouched by evil.
24 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish
but doesn’t even bother to bring it to his mouth.
25 If you strike a scorner,
the simple will learn to act wisely;
if you reprove the intelligent,
he will understand what you mean.
26 One who mistreats his father and evicts his mother
is a son who brings them shame and disgrace.
27 My son, if you stop heeding discipline,
you will stray from the principles of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing.
29 Judgments are in store for scorners
and blows for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19
New American Standard Bible
On Life and Conduct
19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And one who hurries [b](C)his footsteps [c]errs.
3 The (D)foolishness of a person ruins his way,
And his heart (E)rages against the Lord.
4 (F)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.
5 A (G)false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who (H)declares lies will not escape.
6 (I)Many will seek the favor of a [d]generous person,
And every person is a friend to (J)him who gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his (K)friends abandon him!
He (L)pursues them with words, but they are [e]gone.
8 One who gets [f]wisdom loves his own soul;
One who keeps understanding will (M)find good.
9 A (N)false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will perish.
10 Luxury is (O)not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a (P)slave to rule over princes.
11 A person’s (Q)discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory (R)to overlook an offense.
12 A (S)king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like (T)dew on the grass.
13 A (U)foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the (V)quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an (W)inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 (X)Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And [g]a lazy [h]person will suffer hunger.
16 One who (Y)keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who [i]is careless of [j]conduct will die.
17 One who (Z)is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his [k](AA)good deed.
18 (AB)Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire [l]his death.
19 A person of great anger will suffer the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 (AC)Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise [m]the rest of your days.
21 Many (AD)plans are in a person’s heart,
But the (AE)advice of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a person is his [n]kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.
23 [o]The (AF)fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep (AG)satisfied, [p](AH)untouched by evil.
24 The [q](AI)lazy one buries his hand (AJ)in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 (AK)Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,
But (AL)rebuke one who has understanding, and he will [r]gain knowledge.
26 He (AM)who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Stop listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked [s](AN)swallows wrongdoing.
29 [t]Judgments are prepared for (AO)scoffers,
And (AP)beatings for the backs of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit with his feet
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit sins
- Proverbs 19:6 Or noble
- Proverbs 19:7 Lit not
- Proverbs 19:8 Lit heart
- Proverbs 19:15 Lit an idle
- Proverbs 19:15 Lit soul
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit despises
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit ways
- Proverbs 19:17 Or benefits
- Proverbs 19:18 Lit causing him to die
- Proverbs 19:20 Lit in your latter end
- Proverbs 19:22 Or loyalty
- Proverbs 19:23 Or Reverence for
- Proverbs 19:23 Lit not visited
- Proverbs 19:24 Lit idle person
- Proverbs 19:25 Lit discern
- Proverbs 19:28 Another reading is pours out
- Proverbs 19:29 LXX Rods
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
