Proverbs 19-23

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.
22 ^(EU)A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
    and favor is better than silver or gold.
^2 (EV)The rich and the poor meet together;
    the Lord is ^(EW)the Maker of them all.
^3 (EX)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but the simple go on and suffer for it.
⁴ The reward for humility and fear of the Lord
    is ^(EY)riches and honor and life.^[n]
5 (EZ)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
    whoever ^(FA)guards his soul will keep far from them.
^6 (FB)Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.
^7 (FC)The rich rules over the poor,
    and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
⁸ Whoever ^(FD)sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and ^(FE)the rod of his fury will fail.
^9 (FF)Whoever has a bountiful^[o] eye will be blessed,
    for he ^(FG)shares his bread with the poor.
^10 (FH)Drive out a scoffer, ^(FI)and strife will go out,
    and ^(FJ)quarreling and abuse will cease.
¹¹ He who ^(FK)loves purity of heart,
    and whose ^(FL)speech is gracious, ^(FM)will have the king as his friend.
¹² The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he ^(FN)overthrows the words of the traitor.
^13 (FO)The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
    I shall be killed in the streets!”
¹⁴ The mouth of ^(FP)forbidden^[p] women is ^(FQ)a deep pit;
    ^(FR)he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
¹⁵ Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but ^(FS)the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
¹⁶ Whoever oppresses the poor to increase his own wealth,
    or gives to the rich, ^(FT)will only come to poverty.

^17 (FU)Incline your ear, and hear ^(FV)the words of the wise,
    ^(FW)and apply your heart to my knowledge,
¹⁸ for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹ That your trust may be in the Lord,
    I have made them known to you today, even to you.
²⁰ Have I not written for you ^(FX)thirty sayings
    of counsel and knowledge,
²¹ to ^(FY)make you know what is right and true,
    that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?