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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)
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)

Footnotes

  1. 19.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  2. 19.19 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 19.27 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain

19 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity
    than a man who is perverse in speech, and is a fool.
It is not good for a man to be without knowledge,
    and he who makes haste with his feet misses his way.
When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
    his heart rages against the Lord.
Wealth brings many new friends,
    but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who utters lies will not escape.
Many seek the favor of a generous man,
    and every one is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
    how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.[a]
He who gets wisdom loves himself;
    he who keeps understanding will prosper.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and he who utters lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes a man slow to anger,
    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew upon the grass.
13 A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
    and an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his life;
    he who despises the word[b] will die.
17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
    and he will repay him for his deed.
18 Discipline your son while there is hope;
    do not set your heart on his destruction.
19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty;
    for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.[c]
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
    that you may gain wisdom for the future.
21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
    but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.
22 What is desired in a man is loyalty,
    and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    and he who has it rests satisfied;
    he will not be visited by harm.
24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish,
    and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
    reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
    is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 Cease, my son, to hear instruction
    only to stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
    and flogging for the backs of fools.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 Heb uncertain
  2. Proverbs 19:16 Cn Compare 13.13: Heb his ways
  3. Proverbs 19:19 Heb obscure