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19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

Even zeal is not good without knowledge,(B)
and the one who acts hastily[a] sins.(C)

A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.(D)

Wealth attracts many friends,(E)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

A false witness will not go unpunished,(F)
and one who utters lies will not escape.(G)

Many seek a ruler’s favour,(H)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.(I)

All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(J)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(K)
but they are not there.[b]

The one who acquires good sense[c] loves himself;
one who safeguards understanding finds success.(L)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
and one who utters lies perishes.(M)

10 Luxury is not appropriate for a fool(N) – 
how much less for a slave to rule over princes!(O)

11 A person’s insight gives him patience,(P)
and his virtue is to overlook an offence.(Q)

12 A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,(R)
but his favour is like dew on the grass.(S)

13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(T)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(U)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(V)
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness induces deep sleep,
and a lazy person will go hungry.(W)

16 The one who keeps commands preserves himself;(X)
one who disregards[d] his ways will die.(Y)

17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,(Z)
and he will give a reward to the lender.[e](AA)

18 Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.[f](AB)

19 A person with intense anger bears the penalty;
if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.(AC)

20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction
so that you may be wise later in life.[g](AD)

21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,
but the Lord’s decree will prevail.(AE)

22 What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;
better to be a poor person than a liar.(AF)

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
one will sleep at night[h] without danger.(AG)

24 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)

25 Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;(AI)
rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.(AJ)

26 The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

27 If you stop listening to correction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks justice,
and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.(AK)

29 Judgements are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. 19:2 Lit who is hasty with feet
  2. 19:7 Hb uncertain
  3. 19:8 Lit acquires a heart
  4. 19:16 Or despises, or treats lightly
  5. 19:17 Lit to him
  6. 19:18 Lit don’t lift up your soul to his death
  7. 19:20 Lit in your end
  8. 19:23 Lit will spend the night satisfied

19 Better to be poor and live one’s life uprightly
    than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.

To act without knowing how you function is not good;
    and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.

A person’s own folly is what ruins his way,
    but he rages in his heart against Adonai.

Wealth brings in many friends,
    but the poor man loses the one friend he has.

A false witness will not go unpunished;
    whoever breathes out lies will not escape.

Many ask favors of a generous person —
    to a giver of gifts, everyone is a friend.

A poor man’s relatives all hate him;
    even more his friends stay away from him.
He may pursue them with entreaties,
    but they aren’t there to be found.

To acquire good sense is to love oneself;
    to treasure discernment is to prosper.
A false witness will not go unpunished;
    whoever breathes out lies will perish.

10 It isn’t fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    and even less for a slave to govern princes.

11 People with good sense are slow to anger,
    and it is their glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A son who is a fool is his father’s ruin,
    and a nagging wife is like a leak that keeps dripping.
14 A house and wealth are inherited from ancestors,
    but a sensible wife is from Adonai.

15 Laziness makes people fall asleep,
    and an idle person will go hungry.

16 He who keeps a mitzvah keeps himself safe,
    but he who doesn’t care how he lives will die.

17 He who is kind to the poor is lending to Adonai;
    and he will repay him for his good deed.

18 Discipline your child while there is hope,
    but don’t get so angry that you kill him!

19 A violent-tempered person will be punished;
    if you try to save him from it, you make things worse.

20 Listen to advice, and accept discipline,
    so that in the end you will be wise.

21 One can devise many plans in one’s mind,
    but Adonai’s plan will prevail.

22 A man’s lust is his shame,
    and a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of Adonai leads to life;
    one who has it is satisfied and rests untouched by evil.

24 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish
    but doesn’t even bother to bring it to his mouth.
25 If you strike a scorner,
    the simple will learn to act wisely;
if you reprove the intelligent,
    he will understand what you mean.

26 One who mistreats his father and evicts his mother
    is a son who brings them shame and disgrace.

27 My son, if you stop heeding discipline,
    you will stray from the principles of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing.

29 Judgments are in store for scorners
    and blows for the backs of fools.