Proverbs 19
Evangelical Heritage Version
19 Better to be a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one with perverse lips who is a fool.
2 Zeal without knowledge is certainly not good,
and a person who acts hastily sins.[a]
3 A person’s own foolishness undermines his way,
but his heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth adds many friends,
but a poor person is deserted by his friend.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished.
He breathes lies and will not escape.
6 Many seek the goodwill of a ruler,
and everyone is a friend to a person who gives gifts.
7 A poor person’s brothers all hate him.
Even his friends keep their distance from him!
Though he pursues them with words, they are not there.
8 A person who acquires intelligence[b] loves his life.[c]
A person who guards understanding finds a good thing.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished.
He breathes lies, and he will perish.
10 A life of luxury is not appropriate for a fool.
How much less appropriate for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes a person slow to anger,
and it is to his credit when he overlooks an offense.
12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s growl,
but his favor is refreshing like dew on the grass.
Dealing With Fools
13 A foolish son is a disaster to his father,
and a nagging wife is like constantly dripping water.
14 Home and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
but a wife with good sense is from the Lord.
15 Laziness makes a person fall into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will go hungry.
16 A person who keeps a command preserves his life.
One who despises his ways will die.
17 A person who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord.
He will repay him in full.
18 Discipline your son while there is hope.
Do not make yourself responsible for his death.
19 Someone who has a lot of anger pays the penalty.
If you rescue him, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
so that you will be wise in the future.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail.
22 A desirable trait in a person is loyalty.[d]
It is better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life.
One who has it rests content.
He will not be disturbed by trouble.
24 A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
but he does not even bring the food up to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and an undisciplined[e] person may learn caution.
Warn a person with understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 A son who attacks his father and chases away his mother
brings shame and disgrace.
27 If you stop listening to discipline, my son,
you will stray from the sayings that give knowledge.
28 A malicious witness mocks justice,
and the mouth of the wicked swallows evil.
29 Punishments have been prepared for scoffers
and beatings for the backs of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:2 Or a person who runs too quickly loses his way
- Proverbs 19:8 Literally heart
- Proverbs 19:8 Or his soul
- Proverbs 19:22 Or what a person desires is loyalty. The word translated loyalty often refers to mercy.
- Proverbs 19:25 Or inexperienced
Proverbs 19
Lexham English Bible
19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.
2 Also, a life[b] without knowledge is not good,
and he who moves quickly with his feet misses the mark.[c]
3 As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin,
and against Yahweh his heart[d] will rage.
4 Wealth adds many friends,
but the poor will be left by his friends.
5 A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes lies will not escape.
6 Many will seek favor before the generous,
and everyone is the friend of a man of gifts.[e]
7 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]
8 He who acquires wisdom loves himself;[g]
he who guards understanding loves to find good.
9 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
- Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”
- Proverbs 19:2 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 19:2 Or “sins”
- Proverbs 19:3 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 19:6 Hebrew “gift”
- Proverbs 19:7 Or “when he pursues words and not them”
- Proverbs 19:8 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 19:11 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 19:13 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 19:14 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 19:15 Or “soul,” or “life”
- Proverbs 19:16 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 19:18 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 19:20 Literally “after things”
- Proverbs 19:21 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 19:22 Literally “man of lying”
- Proverbs 19:27 Literally “in order to stray”
- Proverbs 19:29 Or “Punishments,” or “Condemnations”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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