Proverbs 19:1-14
English Standard Version
19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
2 Desire[a] without knowledge is not good,
and whoever (C)makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man's folly (D)brings his way to ruin,
his heart (E)rages against the Lord.
4 (F)Wealth brings many new friends,
(G)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 (H)A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who (I)breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,[b]
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives (J)gifts.
7 (K)All a poor man's brothers hate him;
(L)how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.[c]
8 (M)Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will (N)discover good.
9 (O)A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who (P)breathes out lies will perish.
10 (Q)It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for (R)a slave to rule over princes.
11 (S)Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king's wrath is like (T)the growling of a lion,
but his (U)favor is like (V)dew on the grass.
13 (W)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and (X)a wife's quarreling is (Y)a continual dripping of rain.
14 (Z)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is (AA)from the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:2 Or A soul
- Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain
Proverbs 19:1-14
New International Version
19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)
2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(B)
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(E)
7 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)
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(M)
9 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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
Proverbs 19:1-14
King James Version
19 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
7 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.
8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
9 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.
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