19 It is better to be poor and ·honest [^Lwalking in innocence]
than to be foolish and ·tell lies [^Lhave crooked lips].

² ·Enthusiasm [Desire; Zeal; Passion] without knowledge is not good.
·If you act too quickly, you might make a mistake [^LRushing feet make mistakes].

³ People’s own foolishness ·ruins their lives [^Lfrustrates their path],
but in their ·minds [^Lhearts] they ·blame [rage at] the Lord.

⁴ Wealthy people are always finding more friends,
but the poor lose all theirs.

⁵ A witness who lies will not go ·free [unpunished];
liars will never escape.

⁶ Many people ·want to please [^Lseek the face of] a leader,
and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.

⁷ Poor people’s relatives ·avoid [^Lhate] them;
    ·even [^Lhow much more do] their friends stay far away.
They run after them, begging,
    but they are gone.

⁸ Those who ·get wisdom [^Lacquire heart] ·do themselves a favor [^Llove themselves],
and those who ·love learning [guard understanding] will succeed.

⁹ A witness who lies will not go ·free [unpunished],
liars will ·die [perish].

¹⁰ A fool should not live in luxury.
A slave should not rule over princes [Eccl. 10:5–7].

¹¹ The ·wise [insightful] ·are patient [^Lhold in their anger];
they will be ·honored [praised; glorified] if they ignore ·insults [offenses].

¹² An angry king is like a ·roaring [growling] lion,
but his ·kindness [favor] is like the dew on the grass.

¹³ A foolish ·child [son] ·brings [is a] disaster to a father,
and a ·quarreling [contentious] wife is like ·dripping water [constant dripping].

¹⁴ Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a ·wise [insightful] wife is a gift from the Lord.

¹⁵ Lazy people ·sleep a lot [^Lfall into a deep sleep],
and idle people will go hungry.

¹⁶ Those who ·obey [guard] the commands ·protect [guard] themselves,
but those who ·are careless [^Ldespise their way] will die.

¹⁷ Being ·kind [gracious; generous] to the poor is like lending to the Lord;
he will ·reward you for what you have done [fully repay you].

¹⁸ ·Correct [Discipline] your children while there is still hope;
do not ·let them destroy themselves [or be intent to kill them].

¹⁹ People with quick tempers will have to pay for it.
If you ·help them out once [rescue them], you will have to do it again.

²⁰ Listen to advice and accept correction,
and in the ·end [future] you will be wise.

²¹ People can make all kinds of plans,
but only the Lord’s ·plan [purpose; advice] will ·happen [succeed].

²² People ·want [desire] others to be loyal,
so it is better to be poor than to be a liar.

²³ Those who ·respect [fear] the Lord will live
and be satisfied, ·unbothered by trouble [sleep well and not experience harm].

²⁴ Though the lazy person ·puts [^Lburies] his hand in the dish,
he won’t lift the food to his mouth.

²⁵ ·Whip those who make fun of wisdom [^LHit/Strike a mocker], and perhaps ·foolish [naive; immature; simpleminded] people will gain some ·wisdom [prudence].
Correct those with understanding, and they will gain knowledge.

²⁶ A child who ·robs [devastates] his father and ·sends [drives] away his mother
brings shame and disgrace on himself.

²⁷ Don’t stop listening to correction, my child,
or you will ·forget what you have already learned [^Lwander from knowledgeable speeches/words].

²⁸ An ·evil [worthless] witness ·makes fun of fairness [mocks justice],
and ·wicked people love what is evil [^Lthe mouth of the wicked conveys guilt].

²⁹ ·People who make fun of wisdom will be punished [^LPunishments were made for mockers],
and ·the backs of foolish people will be beaten [^Lblows for the backs of fools].