Proverbs Monthly
Chapter 19
Better Poor and Honest than Wealthy and Perverse[a]
1 It is better to be poor and lead an honest life
than to be wealthy and perverse in one’s ways.
2 Zeal is useless when not accompanied by knowledge,
and acting hastily causes one to stumble.
3 A man’s own folly leads to his ruin,
yet it is against the Lord that his heart rages.[b]
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but a poor man’s only friend will desert him.
5 A false witness will not escape punishment,
neither will the one who tells lies.
6 Many court the favor of the great,
and everyone is a friend to a man who bestows gifts.
7 The poor man is despised by all his brothers;
how much more do his friends desert him!
He pursues them with entreaties
but all in vain.
8 Whoever gains wisdom loves his own soul;
one who cherishes understanding will prosper.
9 A false witness will not escape punishment,
and the one who tells lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 A man with good sense is slow to anger,
and he earns glory for overlooking an offense.
12 A king’s anger is like the roaring of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son[c] is a calamity to his father,
and a nagging wife is like an endless dripping of water.
14 A house and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is a gift from the Lord.
15 Laziness results in excessive sleep,
and an idle man suffers hunger.[d]
16 Whoever observes the commandments will live,
but the one who scorns them will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord[e]
who will recompense him for his kindness.
18 Chastise your son while there is still hope for him,
but do not allow your anger to cause his death.
19 One with a violent temper must bear the consequences;
if you spare him, you make his evil worse.[f]
20 Heed advice and accept instruction
so that your wisdom may increase in the future.
21 Many are the plans in a human mind,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will prevail.[g]
22 A man’s attraction is his kindness;
it is far better to be poor than to be a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord[h] leads to life,
enabling one to eat and sleep without fear of harm.
24 The idler[i] will dip his hand into the dish,
but he will not so much as lift it to his mouth.
25 If you strike a scoffer,[j] the simple will learn prudence;
if you reprove an intelligent man, he will gain understanding.
26 Anyone who maltreats his father and casts out his mother[k]
is a shameful and despicable son.
27 If a son ceases to accept correction,
he strays from the words of knowledge.
28 A lying witness makes a mockery of justice,
and the mouth of the wicked feasts on iniquity.
29 Punishments were meant for scoffers
and flogging for the backs of fools.
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