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Chapter 19

Better to be poor and walk in integrity
    than rich and crooked in one’s ways.(A)
Desire without knowledge is not good;
    and whoever acts hastily, blunders.[a]
Their own folly leads people astray;
    in their hearts they rage against the Lord.[b]
Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor are left friendless.(B)
The false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever utters lies will not escape.[c](C)
Many curry favor with a noble;
    everybody is a friend of a gift giver.
All the kin of the poor despise them;
    how much more do their friends shun them![d]
Those who gain sense truly love themselves;
    those who preserve understanding will find success.[e]
The false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever utters lies will perish.
10 Luxury is not befitting a fool;
    much less should a slave rule over princes.
11 It is good sense to be slow to anger,
    and an honor to overlook an offense.[f]
12 The king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion,
    but his favor, like dew on the grass.[g](D)
13 The foolish son is ruin to his father,(E)
    and a quarrelsome wife is water constantly dripping.[h]
14 Home and possessions are an inheritance from parents,
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(F)
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the sluggard goes hungry.(G)
16 Those who keep commands keep their lives,
    but those who despise these ways will die.(H)
17 Whoever cares for the poor lends to the Lord,(I)
    who will pay back the sum in full.
18 Discipline your son, for there is hope;
    but do not be intent on his death.[i](J)
19 A wrathful person bears the penalty;
    after one rescue, you will have it to do again.
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
    that you may eventually become wise.
21 Many are the plans of the human heart,
    but it is the decision of the Lord that endures.(K)
22 What is desired of a person is fidelity;
    rather be poor than a liar.[j]
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    one eats and sleeps free from any harm.
24 The sluggard buries a hand in the dish;
    not even lifting it to the mouth.(L)
25 Beat a scoffer and the naive learn a lesson;
    rebuke the intelligent and they gain knowledge.(M)
26 Whoever mistreats a father or drives away a mother,
    is a shameless and disgraceful child.[k](N)
27 My son, stop attending to correction;
    start straying from words of knowledge.[l]
28 An unprincipled witness scoffs at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked pours out iniquity.
29 Rods are prepared for scoffers,
    and blows for the backs of fools.(O)

Footnotes

  1. 19:2 When not guided by wisdom, appetite—or desire—is not good. “Running feet” (so the Hebrew) miss the mark, i.e., do not reach their destination.
  2. 19:3 One’s own folly destroys one’s life. It is an indication of that folly that one blames God rather than oneself.
  3. 19:5 The punishment fits the crime: those who abuse the legal system will be punished by the same system. They will not be acquitted.
  4. 19:7 Closely related to vv. 4 and 6. An observation, not without sympathy, on the social isolation of poor people.
  5. 19:8 Wisdom benefits the one who practices it.
  6. 19:11 The paradox is that one obtains one thing by giving up another.
  7. 19:12 An observation on the exercise of royal power. Both images suggest royal attitudes are beyond human control. Colon A is a variant of 20:2a and colon B of 16:15b.
  8. 19:13 One of many sayings about domestic happiness. The perspective is male; the two greatest pains to a father is a malicious son and an unsuitable wife. The immediately following saying is on the noble wife, perhaps to make a positive statement about women.
  9. 19:18 The pain of disciplining the young cannot be compared with the danger no discipline may bring. The chief reason for disciplining the young is their capacity to change; excluded thereby are revenge and punishment.
  10. 19:22 The proverb has been read in two ways: (1) “Desire (greed) is a shame to a person,” which assumes the rare Hebrew word for “shame” is being used; (2) “What is desired in a person is fidelity.” The second interpretation is preferable. The context may be the court: better to forego money (a bribe) than perjure oneself.
  11. 19:26 Children who disgrace the family equivalently plunder their father’s wealth and expel their mother from the home.
  12. 19:27 The meaning was disputed even in antiquity. The interpretation that most respects the syntax is to take it as ironic advice as in 22:6: to stop (listening) is to go (wandering).

19 Mejor es el pobre que anda en su integridad(A)
que el de labios perversos y necio.
Tampoco es bueno para una persona[a] carecer de conocimiento,
y el que se apresura con los pies peca(B).
La insensatez del hombre pervierte su camino(C),
y su corazón se irrita contra el Señor(D).
La riqueza añade muchos amigos,
pero el pobre es separado de su amigo(E).
El testigo falso(F) no quedará sin castigo,
y el que cuenta[b] mentiras no escapará(G).
Muchos buscan el favor(H) del generoso[c],
y todo hombre es amigo del que da(I).
Todos los hermanos del pobre lo aborrecen,
¡cuánto más sus amigos se alejarán de él(J)!;
los persigue(K) con palabras, pero ellos se han ido[d].
El que adquiere cordura[e] ama su alma;
el que guarda la prudencia hallará el bien(L).
El testigo falso no quedará sin castigo,
y el que cuenta[f] mentiras perecerá(M).
10 Al necio no le sienta la vida de lujo(N);
mucho menos a un siervo gobernar a los príncipes(O).
11 La discreción del hombre le hace lento para la ira(P),
y su gloria es pasar por alto una ofensa(Q).
12 Como rugido de león es la ira del rey(R),
y su favor como rocío sobre la hierba(S).
13 El hijo necio es ruina de su padre(T),
y gotera continua las contiendas de una esposa(U).
14 Casa y riqueza son herencia de los padres(V),
pero la mujer prudente viene del Señor.
15 La pereza hace caer en profundo sueño(W),
y el alma ociosa sufrirá hambre.
16 El que guarda el mandamiento guarda su alma(X),
mas el que menosprecia sus caminos morirá.
17 El que se apiada del pobre presta al Señor(Y),
y Él lo recompensará por su buena obra[g](Z).
18 Corrige a tu hijo mientras hay esperanza,
pero no desee tu alma causarle la muerte(AA).
19 El hombre de gran ira llevará el castigo,
porque si tú lo rescatas, tendrás que hacerlo de nuevo.
20 Escucha el consejo y acepta la corrección[h],
para que seas sabio(AB) el resto de tus días[i].
21 Muchos son los planes en el corazón del hombre(AC),
mas el consejo del Señor permanecerá(AD).
22 Lo que es deseable en un hombre es su bondad[j],
y es mejor ser pobre que mentiroso.
23 El temor[k] del Señor conduce a la vida(AE),
para dormir satisfecho(AF) sin ser tocado[l] por el mal(AG).
24 El perezoso(AH) mete su mano en el plato(AI),
y ni aun a su boca la llevará.
25 Golpea al escarnecedor y el ingenuo[m] se volverá astuto(AJ),
pero reprende al inteligente(AK) y ganará[n] conocimiento.
26 El que asalta a su padre y echa fuera a su madre(AL)
es un hijo que trae vergüenza y desgracia.
27 Cesa, hijo mío, de escuchar la instrucción[o],
y te desviarás de las palabras de sabiduría.
28 El testigo perverso se burla de la justicia[p],
y la boca de los impíos esparce[q] iniquidad(AM).
29 Los juicios[r] están preparados para los escarnecedores(AN),
y los azotes para la espalda de los necios(AO).

Footnotes

  1. Proverbios 19:2 Lit., alma
  2. Proverbios 19:5 Lit., respira
  3. Proverbios 19:6 O, noble
  4. Proverbios 19:7 Lit., no están
  5. Proverbios 19:8 Lit., corazón
  6. Proverbios 19:9 Lit., respira
  7. Proverbios 19:17 O, sus beneficios
  8. Proverbios 19:20 O, instrucción
  9. Proverbios 19:20 Lit., en tus postrimerías
  10. Proverbios 19:22 O, lealtad
  11. Proverbios 19:23 O, La reverencia
  12. Proverbios 19:23 Lit., visitado
  13. Proverbios 19:25 Lit., simple
  14. Proverbios 19:25 Lit., discernirá
  15. Proverbios 19:27 O, disciplina
  16. Proverbios 19:28 O, del derecho
  17. Proverbios 19:28 O, traga
  18. Proverbios 19:29 Gr., Las varas

19 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

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.

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

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.

19 行为正直的穷人,
    胜过诡诈的愚人。
热诚却无知不足取,
    行动急躁难免有错。
人因愚昧而自毁前程,
    他的心却抱怨耶和华。
财富招来许多朋友,
    穷人却遭朋友抛弃。
作伪证者难免受罚,
    撒谎的人罪责难逃。
大家都讨好慷慨的人,
    人人都结交好施赠的。
穷人被亲人厌弃,
    朋友都远远躲避。
    他苦苦哀求,也无人理会。
得到智慧的珍惜生命,
    持守悟性的享受福乐。
作伪证者难免受罚,
    撒谎的人自取灭亡。
10 愚人奢华宴乐不相宜,
    奴隶管辖王子更离谱。
11 智者不轻易发怒,
    饶恕是他的荣耀。
12 君王的震怒像雄狮怒吼,
    君王的恩泽如草上甘露。
13 愚昧之子是父亲的灾殃,
    争闹之妻如雨滴漏不止。
14 房屋钱财是祖先的遗产,
    贤慧之妻乃耶和华所赐。
15 懒惰使人沉睡,
    懈怠使人挨饿。
16 遵守诫命的保全性命,
    藐视诫命的自寻死路。
17 善待穷人等于借贷给耶和华,
    耶和华必回报他的善行。
18 管教孩子宜早不宜晚,
    不可任由他走向灭亡。
19 脾气暴躁的人必吃苦头。
    你若救他,一次肯定不够。
20 你要受教听劝,
    以便得到智慧。
21 人心中有许多计划,
    唯耶和华的旨意成就。
22 人心爱慕忠诚,
    受穷胜过撒谎。
23 敬畏耶和华使人得享生命,
    安然满足,免遭祸患。
24 懒惰人手放在餐盘,
    却懒得送食物进嘴。
25 责打嘲讽者,愚人学会谨慎;
    责备明哲人,他会增长见识。
26 苛待父亲的人可鄙,
    逼走母亲的人可耻。
27 孩子啊,你若不听教诲,
    就会偏离知识。
28 作伪证者嘲讽公义,
    恶人的口吞吃罪恶。
29 刑罚对付嘲讽者,
    鞭子责打愚人背。