19 行为正直的穷人,
    胜过诡诈的愚人。
热诚却无知不足取,
    行动急躁难免有错。
人因愚昧而自毁前程,
    他的心却抱怨耶和华。
财富招来许多朋友,
    穷人却遭朋友抛弃。
作伪证者难免受罚,
    撒谎的人罪责难逃。
大家都讨好慷慨的人,
    人人都结交好施赠的。
穷人被亲人厌弃,
    朋友都远远躲避。
    他苦苦哀求,也无人理会。
得到智慧的珍惜生命,
    持守悟性的享受福乐。
作伪证者难免受罚,
    撒谎的人自取灭亡。
10 愚人奢华宴乐不相宜,
    奴隶管辖王子更离谱。
11 智者不轻易发怒,
    饶恕是他的荣耀。
12 君王的震怒像雄狮怒吼,
    君王的恩泽如草上甘露。
13 愚昧之子是父亲的灾殃,
    争闹之妻如雨滴漏不止。
14 房屋钱财是祖先的遗产,
    贤慧之妻乃耶和华所赐。
15 懒惰使人沉睡,
    懈怠使人挨饿。
16 遵守诫命的保全性命,
    藐视诫命的自寻死路。
17 善待穷人等于借贷给耶和华,
    耶和华必回报他的善行。
18 管教孩子宜早不宜晚,
    不可任由他走向灭亡。
19 脾气暴躁的人必吃苦头。
    你若救他,一次肯定不够。
20 你要受教听劝,
    以便得到智慧。
21 人心中有许多计划,
    唯耶和华的旨意成就。
22 人心爱慕忠诚,
    受穷胜过撒谎。
23 敬畏耶和华使人得享生命,
    安然满足,免遭祸患。
24 懒惰人手放在餐盘,
    却懒得送食物进嘴。
25 责打嘲讽者,愚人学会谨慎;
    责备明哲人,他会增长见识。
26 苛待父亲的人可鄙,
    逼走母亲的人可耻。
27 孩子啊,你若不听教诲,
    就会偏离知识。
28 作伪证者嘲讽公义,
    恶人的口吞吃罪恶。
29 刑罚对付嘲讽者,
    鞭子责打愚人背。

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)

Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(B)

A person’s own folly(C) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.(D)

Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(E)

A false witness(F) will not go unpunished,(G)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.(H)

Many curry favor with a ruler,(I)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(J)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(K)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](L)

The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(M)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.(N)

10 It is not fitting for a fool(O) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(P)

11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;(Q)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,(R)
    but his favor is like dew(S) on the grass.(T)

13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(U)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(V)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(W)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(X)

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.(Y)

16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.(Z)

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(AA)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(AB)

18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.(AC)

19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,(AD)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(AE)

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(AF)

22 What a person desires is unfailing love[b];
    better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(AG)

24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,(AI) and they will gain knowledge.(AJ)

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(AK)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(AL)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.(AM)

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.(AN)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  2. Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame

19 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.

27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.