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Proverbs 19-21
English Standard Version
Proverbs 19-21
English Standard Version
19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
2 Desire[a] without knowledge is not good,
and whoever (C)makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man's folly (D)brings his way to ruin,
his heart (E)rages against the Lord.
4 (F)Wealth brings many new friends,
(G)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 (H)A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who (I)breathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,[b]
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives (J)gifts.
7 (K)All a poor man's brothers hate him;
(L)how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.[c]
8 (M)Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will (N)discover good.
9 (O)A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who (P)breathes out lies will perish.
10 (Q)It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for (R)a slave to rule over princes.
11 (S)Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king's wrath is like (T)the growling of a lion,
but his (U)favor is like (V)dew on the grass.
13 (W)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and (X)a wife's quarreling is (Y)a continual dripping of rain.
14 (Z)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is (AA)from the Lord.
15 (AB)Slothfulness casts into (AC)a deep sleep,
and (AD)an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 Whoever (AE)keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
17 (AF)Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he (AG)will repay him for his (AH)deed.
18 (AI)Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on (AJ)putting him to death.
19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in (AK)the future.
21 (AL)Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but (AM)it is the purpose of the Lord (AN)that will stand.
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord (AO)leads to life,
and whoever has it rests (AP)satisfied;
he will (AQ)not be visited by harm.
24 (AR)The sluggard buries his hand in (AS)the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 (AT)Strike (AU)a scoffer, and the simple will (AV)learn prudence;
(AW)reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is (AX)a son who brings shame and reproach.
27 Cease to hear instruction, my son,
(AY)and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked (AZ)devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for (BA)scoffers,
and (BB)beating for the backs of fools.
20 (BC)Wine is a mocker, (BD)strong drink a brawler,
and whoever (BE)is led astray by it is not wise.[d]
2 The terror of a king is like (BF)the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger (BG)forfeits his life.
3 It is an honor for a man to (BH)keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4 (BI)The sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
(BJ)he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5 The purpose in a man's heart is like (BK)deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Many a man (BL)proclaims his own steadfast love,
but (BM)a faithful man who can find?
7 The righteous who (BN)walks in his integrity—
(BO)blessed are his children after him!
8 (BP)A king who sits on the throne of judgment
(BQ)winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 (BR)Who can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10 (BS)Unequal[e] weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child (BT)makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.[f]
12 (BU)The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
(BV)the Lord has made them both.
13 (BW)Love not sleep, lest you (BX)come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have (BY)plenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of (BZ)costly stones,
(CA)but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 (CB)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and (CC)hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.[g]
17 (CD)Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of (CE)gravel.
18 (CF)Plans are established by counsel;
by (CG)wise guidance (CH)wage war.
19 Whoever (CI)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with (CJ)a simple babbler.[h]
20 (CK)If one curses his father or his mother,
(CL)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 (CM)An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Do not say, (CN)“I will repay evil”;
(CO)wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
23 (CP)Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and (CQ)false scales are not good.
24 A man's (CR)steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only (CS)after making vows.
26 A wise king (CT)winnows the wicked
and drives (CU)the wheel over them.
27 (CV)The spirit[i] of man is the lamp of the Lord,
(CW)searching all (CX)his innermost parts.
28 (CY)Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his (CZ)throne is upheld.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
but (DA)the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 (DB)Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean (DC)the innermost parts.
21 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he (DD)turns it wherever he will.
2 (DE)Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord (DF)weighs the heart.
3 (DG)To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 (DH)Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
(DI)the lamp[j] of the wicked, are sin.
5 The plans of (DJ)the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is (DK)hasty comes (DL)only to poverty.
6 (DM)The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a (DN)fleeting (DO)vapor and a (DP)snare of death.[k]
7 The violence of the wicked will (DQ)sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The way of the guilty (DR)is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9 It is (DS)better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When (DT)a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One (DU)observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 (DV)Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14 (DW)A gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,[l] strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
(DX)but terror to evildoers.
16 One who wanders from the way of good sense
(DY)will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 (DZ)The wicked is a (EA)ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19 It is (EB)better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20 (EC)Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling,
but a foolish man (ED)devours it.
21 Whoever (EE)pursues righteousness and kindness
will find (EF)life, righteousness, and honor.
22 (EG)A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 (EH)Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
(EI)keeps himself out of (EJ)trouble.
24 (EK)“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25 The desire of (EL)the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous (EM)gives and does not hold back.
27 (EN)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more (EO)when he brings it with evil intent.
28 (EP)A false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright (EQ)gives thought to[m] his ways.
30 (ER)No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 (ES)The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but (ET)the victory belongs to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:2 Or A soul
- Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain
- Proverbs 20:1 Or will not become wise
- Proverbs 20:10 Or Two kinds of; also verse 23
- Proverbs 20:11 Or Even a child can dissemble in his actions, though his conduct seems pure and upright
- Proverbs 20:16 Or for an adulteress (compare 27:13)
- Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips
- Proverbs 20:27 Hebrew breath
- Proverbs 21:4 Or the plowing
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:14 Hebrew a bribe in the bosom
- Proverbs 21:29 Or establishes
Proverbs 19-21
New International Version
Proverbs 19-21
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)
2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;(AS)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.(AT)
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,(AY)
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(AZ)
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.(BG)
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure(BH) and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.(BI)
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(BJ)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge(BK) if it is done for an outsider.(BL)
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.(BO)
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(BP)
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,(BQ)
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(BR)
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”(BS)
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.(BT)
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.(BU)
24 A person’s steps are directed(BV) by the Lord.(BW)
How then can anyone understand their own way?(BX)
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.(BY)
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.(BZ)
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.(CE)
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.(CH)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(CI)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(CJ)
4 Haughty eyes(CK) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(CL)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(CN)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(CO)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(CP)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(CQ)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(CU)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(CV)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(CW)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(CX)
18 The wicked become a ransom(CY) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(CZ)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(DC)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(DF)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(DG)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(DH) give without sparing.(DI)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(DJ)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(DK)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(DN)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(DQ)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
- Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
- Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness
Proverbs 19-21
King James Version
Proverbs 19-21
King James Version
19 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.
20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.
26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
2 The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.
3 It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.
15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.
17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
19 He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.
20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
21 An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.
22 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.
23 Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.
24 Man's goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?
25 It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry.
26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.
29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.
30 The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
21 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.
3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.
7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.
8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.
9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.
10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.
13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.
15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.
17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.
19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.
20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?
28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.
29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.