Proverbs 19-21

Christian Standard Bible

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

² Even zeal is not good without knowledge,^(B)
and the one who acts hastily^[a] sins.^(C)

³ A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.^(D)

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,^(E)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished,^(F)
and one who utters lies will not escape.^(G)

⁶ Many seek a ruler’s favor,^(H)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.^(I)

⁷ 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]

⁸ The one who acquires good sense^[c] loves himself;
one who safeguards understanding finds success.^(L)

⁹ 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 offense.^(Q)

¹² A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,^(R)
but his favor 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 Judgments are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.^(AL)

20 Wine is a mocker,^(AM) beer is a brawler;
whoever goes astray^[i] because of them is not wise.

² A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion;
anyone who provokes him endangers himself.^(AN)

³ Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute,^(AO)
but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.^(AP)

⁴ The slacker does not plow during planting season;^[j]
at harvest time he looks,^[k] and there is nothing.^(AQ)

⁵ Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water;^(AR)
but a person of understanding draws it out.

⁶ Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,
but who can find a trustworthy person?^(AS)

⁷ A righteous person acts with integrity;^(AT)
his children who come after him will be happy.^(AU)

⁸ A king sitting on a throne to judge
separates out all evil with his eyes.^(AV)

⁹ Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
I am cleansed from my sin”?^(AW)

¹⁰ Differing weights and varying measures^[l]—
both are detestable to the Lord.^(AX)

¹¹ Even a young man is known by his actions—
by whether his behavior is pure and upright.^(AY)

¹² The hearing ear and the seeing eye—
the Lord made them both.^(AZ)

¹³ Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;
open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.^(BA)

¹⁴ “It’s worthless, it’s worthless!” the buyer says,
but after he is on his way, he gloats.

¹⁵ There is gold and a multitude of jewels,
but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.^(BB)

¹⁶ Take his garment,
for he has put up security for a stranger;
get collateral if it is for foreigners.^(BC)

¹⁷ Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person,^(BD)
but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.^(BE)

¹⁸ Finalize plans with counsel,^(BF)
and wage war with sound guidance.^(BG)

¹⁹ The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;^(BH)
avoid someone with a big mouth.^(BI)

²⁰ Whoever curses his father or mother^(BJ)—
his lamp will go out in deep darkness.^(BK)

²¹ An inheritance gained prematurely
will not be blessed ultimately.^(BL)

²² Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!” ^(BM)
Wait on the Lord,^(BN) and he will rescue you.^(BO)

²³ Differing weights^[m] are detestable to the Lord,^(BP)
and dishonest scales^(BQ) are unfair.

²⁴ Even a courageous person’s steps are determined by the Lord,^(BR)
so how can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵ It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly
and later to reconsider his vows.^(BS)

²⁶ A wise king separates out the wicked^(BT)
and drives the threshing wheel^(BU) over them.

²⁷ The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life,^[n]
searching the innermost parts.^[o](BV)

²⁸ Loyalty and faithfulness guard a king;
through loyalty he maintains his throne.

²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength,
and the splendor of old men is gray hair.^(BW)

³⁰ Lashes and wounds purge away evil,^(BX)
and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.^[p]

21 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand:
He directs it wherever he chooses.^(BY)

² All a person’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs hearts.^(BZ)

³ Doing what is righteous and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(CA)

⁴ The lamp that guides the wicked—
haughty eyes and an arrogant heart^(CB)—is sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.^(CC)

⁶ Making a fortune through a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist,^[q] a pursuit of death.^[r][s](CD)

⁷ The violence of the wicked sweeps them away
because they refuse to act justly.

⁸ A guilty one’s conduct is crooked,^(CE)
but the behavior of the innocent is upright.^(CF)

⁹ Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.^(CG)

¹⁰ A wicked person desires evil;
he has no consideration^[t] for his neighbor.^(CH)

¹¹ When a mocker is punished,
the inexperienced become wiser;
when one teaches a wise man,
he acquires knowledge.^(CI)

¹² The Righteous One^[u] considers the house of the wicked;
he brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³ The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.^(CJ)

¹⁴ A secret gift soothes anger,
and a covert bribe, fierce rage.^(CK)

¹⁵ Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to evildoers.^(CL)

¹⁶ The person who strays from the way of prudence
will come to rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.^(CM)

¹⁷ The one who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will not get rich.^(CN)

¹⁸ The wicked are a ransom for the righteous,
and the treacherous, for^[v] the upright.^(CO)

¹⁹ Better to live in a wilderness
than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.^(CP)

²⁰ Precious treasure and oil are in the dwelling of a wise person,
but a fool consumes them.^[w](CQ)

²¹ The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love
will find life, righteousness, and honor.^(CR)

²² A wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down its secure fortress.^(CS)

²³ The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.^(CT)

²⁴ The arrogant and proud person, named “Mocker,”
acts with excessive arrogance.^(CU)

²⁵ A slacker’s craving will kill him
because his hands refuse to work.^(CV)
26 He is filled with craving^[x] all day long,
but the righteous give and don’t hold back.^(CW)

²⁷ The sacrifice of a wicked person is detestable—
how much more so
when he brings it with ulterior motives!^(CX)

²⁸ A lying witness will perish,^(CY)
but the one who listens will speak successfully.

²⁹ A wicked person puts on a bold face,^(CZ)
but the upright one considers his way.

³⁰ No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel
will prevail against the Lord.^(DA)

³¹ A horse is prepared for the day of battle,^(DB)
but victory comes from the Lord.^(DC)