Proverbs 19

1 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.

2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way.

3 A man's own folly ruins his life,
yet his heart rages against the Lord.

4 Wealth brings many friends,
but a poor man's friend deserts him.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who pours out lies will not go free.

6 Many curry favor with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.

7 A poor man is shunned by all his relatives—
how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he pursues them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.

8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul;
he who cherishes understanding prospers.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who pours out lies will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

11 A man's wisdom gives him patience;
it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king's rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish son is his father's ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless man goes hungry.

16 He who obeys instructions guards his life,
but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.

17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward him for what he has done.

18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to his death.

19 A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty;
if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise.

21 Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

22 What a man desires is unfailing love;
better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life:
Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

26 He who robs his father and drives out his mother
is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.

PROVERBS 19

It's Wise To Be Patient

1 It's better to be poor
and live right
than to be a stupid liar.

2 Willingness and stupidity
don't go well together.
If you are too eager,
you will miss the road.

3 We are ruined
by our own stupidity,
though we blame the [Lord].

4 The rich have many friends;
the poor have none.

5 Dishonest witnesses and liars
won't escape punishment.

6 Everyone tries to be friends
of those who can help them.

7 If you are poor,
your own relatives reject you,
and your friends are worse.
When you really need them,
they are not there.t

8 Do yourself a favor
by having good sense—
you will be glad you did.

9 Dishonest witnesses and liars
will be destroyed.

10 It isn't right for a fool
to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule
in place of a king.

11 It's wise to be patient
and show what you are like
by forgiving others.

12 An angry king roars
like a lion,
but when a king is pleased,
it's like dew on the crops.

13 Foolish children bring disgrace
to their fathers.
A nagging wife goes on and on
like the drip, drip, drip
of the rain.

14 You may inherit all you own
from your parents,
but a sensible wife
is a gift from the [Lord].

15 If you are lazy
and sleep your time away,
you will starve.

16 Obey the Lord's teachings
and you will live—
disobey and you will die.

17 Caring for the poor
is lending to the [Lord],
and you will be well repaid.

18 Correct your children
before it's too late;
if you don't punish them,
trouble will come their way.t

19 People with bad tempers
are always in trouble,
and they need help
over and over again.t

20 Pay attention to advice
and accept correction,
so you can live sensibly.

21 We may make a lot of plans,
but the [Lord] will do
what he has decided.

22 What matters most is loyalty.
It's better to be poor
than to be a liar.

23 Showing respect to the [Lord]
brings true life—
if you do it, you can relax
without fear of danger.

24 Some people are too lazy
to lift a hand
to feed themselves.

25 Stupid fools learn good sense
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being corrected.

26 Disgraceful children
rob their father
and chase their mother away.

27 If you stop learning,
you will forget
what you already know.

28 A lying witness makes fun
of the court system,
and criminals think crime
is really delicious.

29 A stupid fool should expect
to be punished.