Proverbs 19
New American Standard Bible
On Life and Conduct
19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And one who hurries [b](C)his footsteps [c]errs.
3 The (D)foolishness of a person ruins his way,
And his heart (E)rages against the Lord.
4 (F)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.
5 A (G)false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who (H)declares lies will not escape.
6 (I)Many will seek the favor of a [d]generous person,
And every person is a friend to (J)him who gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his (K)friends abandon him!
He (L)pursues them with words, but they are [e]gone.
8 One who gets [f]wisdom loves his own soul;
One who keeps understanding will (M)find good.
9 A (N)false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will perish.
10 Luxury is (O)not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a (P)slave to rule over princes.
11 A person’s (Q)discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory (R)to overlook an offense.
12 A (S)king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like (T)dew on the grass.
13 A (U)foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the (V)quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an (W)inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 (X)Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And [g]a lazy [h]person will suffer hunger.
16 One who (Y)keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who [i]is careless of [j]conduct will die.
17 One who (Z)is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his [k](AA)good deed.
18 (AB)Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire [l]his death.
19 A person of great anger will suffer the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 (AC)Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise [m]the rest of your days.
21 Many (AD)plans are in a person’s heart,
But the (AE)advice of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a person is his [n]kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.
23 [o]The (AF)fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep (AG)satisfied, [p](AH)untouched by evil.
24 The [q](AI)lazy one buries his hand (AJ)in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 (AK)Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,
But (AL)rebuke one who has understanding, and he will [r]gain knowledge.
26 He (AM)who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Stop listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked [s](AN)swallows wrongdoing.
29 [t]Judgments are prepared for (AO)scoffers,
And (AP)beatings for the backs of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit with his feet
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit sins
- Proverbs 19:6 Or noble
- Proverbs 19:7 Lit not
- Proverbs 19:8 Lit heart
- Proverbs 19:15 Lit an idle
- Proverbs 19:15 Lit soul
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit despises
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit ways
- Proverbs 19:17 Or benefits
- Proverbs 19:18 Lit causing him to die
- Proverbs 19:20 Lit in your latter end
- Proverbs 19:22 Or loyalty
- Proverbs 19:23 Or Reverence for
- Proverbs 19:23 Lit not visited
- Proverbs 19:24 Lit idle person
- Proverbs 19:25 Lit discern
- Proverbs 19:28 Another reading is pours out
- Proverbs 19:29 LXX Rods
Proverbs 19
New American Standard Bible 1995
On Life and Conduct
19 (A)Better is a poor man who (B)walks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries [b](C)his footsteps [c]errs.
3 The (D)foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart (E)rages against the Lord.
4 (F)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.
5 A (G)false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who [d](H)tells lies will not escape.
6 (I)Many will seek the favor of a [e]generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who (J)gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his (K)friends abandon him!
He (L)pursues them with words, but they are [f]gone.
8 He who gets [g]wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will (M)find good.
9 A (N)false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who [h]tells lies will perish.
10 Luxury is (O)not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a (P)slave to rule over princes.
11 A man’s (Q)discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory (R)to overlook a transgression.
12 The (S)king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like (T)dew on the grass.
13 A (U)foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the (V)contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an (W)inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 (X)Laziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle [i]man will suffer hunger.
16 He who (Y)keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who [j]is careless of [k]conduct will die.
17 One who (Z)is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,
And He will repay him for his [l](AA)good deed.
18 (AB)Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire [m]his death.
19 A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 (AC)Listen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise [n]the rest of your days.
21 Many (AD)plans are in a man’s heart,
But the (AE)counsel of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a man is his [o]kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
23 The [p](AF)fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep (AG)satisfied, [q](AH)untouched by evil.
24 The (AI)sluggard buries his hand (AJ)in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 (AK)Strike a scoffer and the [r]naive may become shrewd,
But (AL)reprove one who has understanding and he will [s]gain knowledge.
26 He (AM)who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked [t](AN)spreads iniquity.
29 [u]Judgments are prepared for (AO)scoffers,
And (AP)blows for the back of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit with his feet
- Proverbs 19:2 Lit sins
- Proverbs 19:5 Lit breathes
- Proverbs 19:6 Or noble
- Proverbs 19:7 Lit not
- Proverbs 19:8 Lit heart
- Proverbs 19:9 Lit breathes
- Proverbs 19:15 Lit soul
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit despises
- Proverbs 19:16 Lit ways
- Proverbs 19:17 Or benefits
- Proverbs 19:18 Lit causing him to die
- Proverbs 19:20 Lit in your latter end
- Proverbs 19:22 Or loyalty
- Proverbs 19:23 Or reverence
- Proverbs 19:23 Lit not visited
- Proverbs 19:25 Lit simple
- Proverbs 19:25 Lit discern
- Proverbs 19:28 Or swallows
- Proverbs 19:29 Gr Rods
Proverbs 19
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.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(U)
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(V)
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
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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