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19 Better the poor walking in integrity
    than one perverse of speech who is a fool.(A)
Desire without knowledge is not good,
    and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way.
One’s own folly leads to ruin,
    yet the heart rages against the Lord.(B)
Wealth brings many friends,
    but the poor are left friendless.(C)
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and a liar will not escape.(D)
Many seek the favor of the generous,
    and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts.(E)
If the poor are hated even by their kin,
    how much more are they shunned by their friends!
When they call after them, they are not there.[a](F)
To get wisdom is to love oneself;
    to keep understanding is to prosper.(G)
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and the liar will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for a slave to rule over princes.(H)
11 Those with good sense are slow to anger,
    and it is their glory to overlook an offense.(I)
12 A king’s anger is like the growling of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.(J)
13 A stupid child is ruin to a father,
    and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.(K)
14 House and wealth are inherited from parents,
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(L)
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep;
    an idle person will suffer hunger.(M)
16 Those who keep the commandment will live;
    those who are heedless of their ways will die.(N)
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord
    and will be repaid in full.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 19.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.