19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

Even zeal is not good without knowledge,(B)
and the one who acts hastily[a] sins.(C)

A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.(D)

Wealth attracts many friends,(E)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

A false witness will not go unpunished,(F)
and one who utters lies will not escape.(G)

Many seek a ruler’s favor,(H)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.(I)

All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(J)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(K)
but they are not there.[b]

The one who acquires good sense[c] loves himself;
one who safeguards understanding finds success.(L)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
and one who utters lies perishes.(M)

10 Luxury is not appropriate for a fool(N)
how much less for a slave to rule over princes!(O)

11 A person’s insight gives him patience,(P)
and his virtue is to overlook an offense.(Q)

12 A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,(R)
but his favor is like dew on the grass.(S)

13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(T)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(U)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(V)
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness induces deep sleep,
and a lazy person will go hungry.(W)

16 The one who keeps commands preserves himself;(X)
one who disregards[d] his ways will die.(Y)

17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,(Z)
and he will give a reward to the lender.[e](AA)

18 Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.[f](AB)

19 A person with intense anger bears the penalty;
if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.(AC)

20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction
so that you may be wise later in life.[g](AD)

21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,
but the Lord’s decree will prevail.(AE)

22 What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;
better to be a poor person than a liar.(AF)

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
one will sleep at night[h] without danger.(AG)

24 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)

25 Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;(AI)
rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.(AJ)

26 The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

27 If you stop listening to correction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks justice,
and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.(AK)

29 Judgments are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. 19:2 Lit who is hasty with feet
  2. 19:7 Hb uncertain
  3. 19:8 Lit acquires a heart
  4. 19:16 Or despises, or treats lightly
  5. 19:17 Lit to him
  6. 19:18 Lit don’t lift up your soul to his death
  7. 19:20 Lit in your end
  8. 19:23 Lit will spend the night satisfied

19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.
Also, a life[b] without knowledge is not good,
    and he who moves quickly with his feet misses the mark.[c]
As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin,
    and against Yahweh his heart[d] will rage.
Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor will be left by his friends.
A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished,
    and he who breathes lies will not escape.
Many will seek favor before the generous,
    and everyone is the friend of a man of gifts.[e]
All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him,
    how much more will his friends keep away from him.
    He pursues them with words, and they are gone.[f]
He who acquires wisdom loves himself;[g]
    he who guards understanding loves to find good.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who breathes lies will perish.
10 For a fool living in luxury is not fitting,
    any more than it is for a slave to rule over princes.
11 The understanding of a person makes him slow to his anger,[h]
    and his glory overlooks offense.
12 The rage of a king growls like a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a ruin to his father,
    and the quarreling of a woman[i] is a continuous dripping.
14 A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
    but from Yahweh comes a woman[j] who is prudent.
15 Laziness will bring on a deep sleep,
    and a person[k] of idleness will suffer hunger.
16 He who guards commandments guards his life;[l]
    he who is careless of his ways will be killed.
17 He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor,
    and his benefits he will repay to him.
18 Discipline your child, for there is hope,
    but on his destruction do not set your desire.[m]
19 A hot-tempered person pays a penalty;
    if you rescue him, you will do it yet again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction
    so that you will gain wisdom for your future.[n]
21 Many plans are in the heart[o] of a man,
    but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.
22 The craving of a man is his steadfast loyalty,
    and it is better to be poor than a liar.[p]
23 Fear of Yahweh leads to life;
    he who is filled with it will rest—he will not suffer harm.
24 A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
    and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.
25 The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence,
    and reprove the intelligent and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother,
    is a child who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 Cease to listen to instruction, my child,
    and you will stray[q] from sayings of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness will mock justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked will devour iniquity.
29 Judgments[r] are prepared for the scoffers,
    and flogging for the back of fools.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”
  2. Proverbs 19:2 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  3. Proverbs 19:2 Or “sins”
  4. Proverbs 19:3 Or “mind”
  5. Proverbs 19:6 Hebrew “gift”
  6. Proverbs 19:7 Or “when he pursues words and not them”
  7. Proverbs 19:8 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  8. Proverbs 19:11 Literally “nostril”
  9. Proverbs 19:13 Or “wife”
  10. Proverbs 19:14 Or “wife”
  11. Proverbs 19:15 Or “soul,” or “life”
  12. Proverbs 19:16 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  13. Proverbs 19:18 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  14. Proverbs 19:20 Literally “after things
  15. Proverbs 19:21 Or “mind”
  16. Proverbs 19:22 Literally “man of lying”
  17. Proverbs 19:27 Literally “in order to stray”
  18. Proverbs 19:29 Or “Punishments,” or “Condemnations”