Proverbs 19

1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

3 The foolishness of man subverteth his way; And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.

4 Wealth addeth many friends; But the poor is separated from his friend.

5 A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall not escape.

6 Many will entreat the favor of the liberal man; And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, but they are gone.

8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good.

9 A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish.

10 Delicate living is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

11 The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

12 The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favor is as dew upon the grass.

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father; And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

14 House and riches are an inheritance from fathers; But a prudent wife is from Jehovah.

15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And the idle soul shall suffer hunger.

16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that is careless of his ways shall die.

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto Jehovah, And his good deed will he pay him again.

18 Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope; and set not thy heart on his destruction.

19 A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty; For if thou deliver him, thou must do it yet again.

20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand.

22 That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness; And a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life; And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil.

24 The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

25 Smite a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; And reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

26 He that doeth violence to his father, and chaseth away his mother, Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

27 Cease, my son, to hear instruction Only to err from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocketh at justice; And the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity.

29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And stripes for the back 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 favour
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 A foolish son brings disgrace
to his father.
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,
you are destroying them.

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 Children who bring disgrace
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 Every stupid fool
is just waiting
to be punished.