Proverbs 19-20

New King James Version

² Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge,
And he sins who hastens with his feet.

³ The foolishness of a man twists his way,
And his heart frets against the Lord.

^4 (B)Wealth makes many friends,
But the poor is separated from his friend.

⁵ A ^(C)false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies will not escape.

⁶ Many entreat the favor of the nobility,
And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.
^7 (D)All the brothers of the poor hate him;
How much more do his friends go ^(E)far from him!
He may pursue them with words, yet they ^[a]abandon him.

⁸ He who gets ^[b]wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding ^(F)will find good.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish.

¹⁰ Luxury is not fitting for a fool,
Much less ^(G)for a servant to rule over princes.

^11 (H)The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
^(I)And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

^12 (J)The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is ^(K)like dew on the grass.

^13 (L)A foolish son is the ruin of his father,
^(M)And the contentions of a wife are a continual ^[c]dripping.

^14 (N)Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But ^(O)a prudent wife is from the Lord.

^15 (P)Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And an idle person will ^(Q)suffer hunger.

^16 (R)He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who ^[d]is careless of his ways will die.

^17 (S)He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.

^18 (T)Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart ^[e]on his destruction.

¹⁹ A man of great wrath will suffer punishment;
For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
That you may be wise ^(U)in your latter days.

²¹ There are many plans in a man’s heart,
^(V)Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

²² What is desired in a man is ^[f]kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

^23 (W)The fear of the Lord leads to life,
And he who has it will abide in satisfaction;
He will not be visited with evil.

^24 (X)A lazy man buries his hand in the ^[g]bowl,
And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵ Strike a scoffer, and the simple ^(Y)will become wary;
^(Z)Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge.

²⁶ He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother
Is ^(AA)a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

²⁷ Cease listening to instruction, my son,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸ A ^[h]disreputable witness scorns justice,
And ^(AB)the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.

²⁹ Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
^(AC)And beatings for the backs of fools.

² The ^[i]wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

^3 (AE)It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

^4 (AF)The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
^(AG)He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶ Most men will proclaim each his own ^[j]goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

^7 (AH)The righteous man walks in his integrity;
^(AI)His children are blessed after him.

⁸ A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

^9 (AJ)Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

^10 (AK)Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹ Even a child is ^(AL)known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

^12 (AM)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made them both.

^13 (AN)Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴ “It is ^[k]good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵ There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But ^(AO)the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

^16 (AP)Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

^17 (AQ)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

^18 (AR)Plans are established by counsel;
^(AS)By wise counsel wage war.

^19 (AT)He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one ^(AU)who flatters with his lips.

^20 (AV)Whoever curses his father or his mother,
^(AW)His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

^21 (AX)An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
^(AY)Will not be blessed at the end.

^22 (AZ)Do not say, “I will ^[l]recompense evil”;
^(BA)Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

²³ Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord,
And dishonest scales are not good.

²⁴ A man’s steps are of the Lord;
How then can a man understand his own way?

²⁵ It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

^26 (BB)A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

^27 (BC)The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
Searching all the ^[m]inner depths of his heart.

^28 (BD)Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by ^[n]lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength,
And ^(BE)the splendor of old men is their gray head.

³⁰ Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the ^[o]inner depths of the heart.