Proverbs 19

Better poor and honest

Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.a ²Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way!b ³A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. ⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. ⁶Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

⁷The poor are shunned by all their relatives— how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. ⁸The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.c ⁹A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! ¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.d ¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. ¹⁴Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.e ¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.f

¹⁶Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.g ¹⁷Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.h ¹⁸Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.i

¹⁹A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. ²⁰Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.j ²¹Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.k

²²What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. ²³The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.l ²⁴A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

²⁵Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge. ²⁶Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace. ²⁷Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. ²⁹Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.