Proverbs 19–20

19Better a poor person who lives with integrity^k

than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

²Even zeal is not good without knowledge,^l

and the one who acts hastily^D sins.^m

³A person’s own foolishness leads him astray,

yet his heart rages against the Lord.ⁿ

⁴Wealth attracts many friends,^o

but a poor person is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,^p

and one who utters lies will not escape.^q

⁶Many seek a ruler’s favor,^r

and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.^s

⁷All the brothers of a poor person hate him;^t

how much more do his friends

keep their distance from him!

He may pursue them with words,^u

but they are not there.^A

⁸The one who acquires good sense^B loves himself;

one who safeguards understanding finds success.^v

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and one who utters lies perishes.^w

¹⁰Luxury is not appropriate for a fool^x —

how much less for a slave to rule over princes!^y

¹¹A person’s insight gives him patience,^z

and his virtue is to overlook an offense.^aa

¹²A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,^ab

but his favor is like dew on the grass.^ac

¹³A foolish son is his father’s ruin,^ad

and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.^ae

¹⁴A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,^af

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Laziness induces deep sleep,

and a lazy person will go hungry.^ag

¹⁶The one who keeps commands preserves himself;^ah

one who disregards^C his ways will die.^ai

¹⁷Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord,^a

and he will give a reward to the lender.^Db

¹⁸Discipline your son while there is hope;

don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death.^Ec

¹⁹A person with intense anger bears the penalty;

if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.^d

²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction

so that you may be wise later in life.^Fe

²¹Many plans are in a person’s heart,

but the Lord’s decree will prevail.^f

²²What is desirable in a person is his fidelity;

better to be a poor person than a liar.^g

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life;

one will sleep at night^G without danger.^h

²⁴The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;

he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth!ⁱ

²⁵Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;^j

rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.^k

²⁶The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother

is a disgraceful and shameful son.

²⁷If you stop listening to correction, my son,

you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A worthless witness mocks justice,

and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.^l

²⁹Judgments are prepared for mockers,

and beatings for the backs of fools.^m

20Wine is a mocker,ⁿ beer is a brawler;

whoever goes astray^A because of them is not wise.

²A king’s terrible wrath is like the roaring of a lion;

anyone who provokes him endangers himself.^o

³Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute,^p

but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.^q

⁴The slacker does not plow during planting season;^B

at harvest time he looks,^C and there is nothing.^r

⁵Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water;^s

but a person of understanding draws it out.

⁶Many a person proclaims his own loyalty,

but who can find a trustworthy person?^t

⁷A righteous person acts with integrity;^u

his children who come after him will be happy.^v

⁸A king sitting on a throne to judge

separates out all evil with his eyes.^w

⁹Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;

I am cleansed from my sin”?^x

¹⁰Differing weights and varying measures^D—

both are detestable to the Lord.^y

¹¹Even a young man is known by his actions—

by whether his behavior is pure and upright.^z

¹²The hearing ear and the seeing eye—

the Lord made them both.^a

¹³Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor;

open your eyes, and you’ll have enough to eat.^b

¹⁴“It’s worthless, it’s worthless!” the buyer says,

but after he is on his way, he gloats.

¹⁵There is gold and a multitude of jewels,

but knowledgeable lips are a rare treasure.^c

¹⁶Take his garment,

for he has put up security for a stranger;

get collateral if it is for foreigners.^d

¹⁷Food gained by fraud is sweet to a person,^e

but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.^*

¹⁸Finalize plans with counsel,^f

and wage war with sound guidance.^g

¹⁹The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;^h

avoid someone with a big mouth.ⁱ

²⁰Whoever curses his father or mother^j —

his lamp will go out in deep darkness.^k

²¹An inheritance gained prematurely

will not be blessed ultimately.^l

²²Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil!”^m

Wait on the Lord,ⁿ and he will rescue you.^o

²³Differing weights^A are detestable to the Lord,^p

and dishonest scales^q are unfair.

²⁴Even a courageous person’s steps are determined by the Lord,^r

so how can anyone understand his own way?

²⁵It is a trap for anyone to dedicate something rashly

and later to reconsider his vows.^s

²⁶A wise king separates out the wicked^t

and drives the threshing wheel^u over them.

²⁷The Lord’s lamp sheds light on a person’s life,^B

searching the innermost parts.^Cv

²⁸Loyalty and faithfulness guard a king;

through loyalty he maintains his throne.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

and the splendor of old men is gray hair.^w

³⁰Lashes and wounds purge away evil,^x

and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.^D