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 Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 Better the poor walking in integrity
than one perverse of speech who is a fool.(A)
2 Desire without knowledge is not good,
and one who moves too hurriedly misses the way.
3 One’s own folly leads to ruin,
yet the heart rages against the Lord.(B)
4 Wealth brings many friends,
but the poor are left friendless.(C)
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and a liar will not escape.(D)
6 Many seek the favor of the generous,
and everyone is a friend to a giver of gifts.(E)
7 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)
8 To get wisdom is to love oneself;
to keep understanding is to prosper.(G)
9 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)
18 Discipline your children while there is hope;
do not set your heart on their destruction.(P)
19 A violent-tempered person will pay the penalty;
if you effect a rescue, you will only have to do it again.[b]
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom for the future.(Q)
21 The human mind may devise many plans,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.(R)
22 What is desirable in a person is loyalty,
and it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord is life indeed;
filled with it one rests secure
and suffers no harm.(S)
24 The lazy person buries a hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to the mouth.(T)
25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove the intelligent, and they will gain knowledge.(U)
26 Those who do violence to their father and chase away their mother
are children who cause shame and bring reproach.
27 My child, stop ignoring instruction,
straying[c] from words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.(V)
29 Punishments are prepared for scoffers
and flogging for the backs of fools.(W)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.