Proverbs 19–21

Chapter 19

Better is the poor man, that walketh in his simplicity, than a rich man that is perverse in his lips and unwise.

²Where there is no knowledge of the soul, there is no good: and he that is hasty with his feet shall stumble.

³The folly of a man supplanteth his steps: and he fretteth in his mind against God.

⁴Riches make many friends: but from the poor man, even they whom he had, depart.

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall not escape.

⁶Many honour the person of him that is mighty, and are friends of him that giveth gifts.

⁷The brethren of the poor man hate him: moreover also his friends have departed far from him. He that followeth after words only, shall have nothing.

⁸But he that possesseth a mind, loveth his own soul, and he that keepeth prudence, shall find good things.

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished: and he that speaketh lies, shall perish.

¹⁰Delicacies are not seemly for a fool: nor for a servant to have rule over princes.

¹¹The learning of a man is known by patience: and his glory is to pass over wrongs.

¹²As the roaring of a lion, so also is the anger of a king: and his cheerfulness as the dew upon the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the grief of his father: and a wrangling wife is like a roof continually dropping through.

¹⁴House and riches are given by parents: but a prudent wife is properly from the Lord.

¹⁵Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶He that keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul: but he that neglecteth his own way, shall die.

¹⁷He that hath mercy on the poor, lendeth to the Lord: and he will repay him.

¹⁸Chastise thy son, despair not: but to the killing of him set not thy soul.

¹⁹He that is impatient, shall suffer damage: and when he shall take away, he shall add another thing.

²⁰Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayst be wise in thy latter end.

²¹There are many thoughts in the heart of a man: but the will of the Lord shall stand firm.

²²A needy man is merciful: and better is the poor than the lying man.

²³The fear of the Lord is unto life: and he shall abide in the fulness without being visited with evil.

²⁴The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth.

²⁵The wicked man being scourged, the fool shall be wiser: but if thou rebuke a wise man, he will understand discipline.

²⁶He that afflicteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is infamous and unhappy.

²⁷Cease not, O my son, to hear instruction, and be not ignorant of the words of knowledge.

²⁸An unjust witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for scorners: and striking hammers for the bodies of fools.

Chapter 20

Wine is a luxurious thing, and drunkenness riotous: whosoever is delighted therewith, shall not be wise.

²As the roaring of a lion, so also is the dread of a king: he that provoketh him, sinneth against his own soul.

³It is an honour for a man to separate himself from quarrels: but all fools are meddling with reproaches.

⁴Because of the cold the sluggard would not plough: he shall beg therefore in the summer, and it shall not be given him.

⁵Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it out.

⁶Many men are called merciful: but who shall find a faithful man?

⁷The just that walketh in his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children.

⁸The king, that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth away all evil with his look.

⁹Who can say: My heart is clean, I am pure from sin?

¹⁰Diverse weights and diverse measures, both are abominable before God.

¹¹By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made them both.

¹³Love not sleep, lest poverty oppress thee: open thy eyes, and be filled with bread.

¹⁴It is naught, it is naught, saith every buyer: and when he is gone away, then he will boast.

¹⁵There is gold and a multitude of jewels: but the lips of knowledge are a precious vessel.

¹⁶Take away the garment of him that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge from him for strangers.

¹⁷The bread of lying is sweet to a man: but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸Designs are strengthened by counsels: and wars are to be managed by governments.

¹⁹Meddle not with him that revealeth secrets, and walketh deceitfully, and openeth wide his lips.

²⁰He that curseth his father, and mother, his lamp shall be put out in the midst of darkness.

²¹The inheritance gotten hastily in the beginning, in the end shall be without a blessing.

²²Say not: I will return evil: wait for the Lord, and he will deliver thee.

²³Diverse weights are an abomination before the Lord: a deceitful balance is not good.

²⁴The steps of men are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can understand his own way?

²⁵It is ruin to a man to devour holy ones, and after vows to retract.

²⁶A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth over them the wheel.

²⁷The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.

²⁸Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is strengthened by clemency.

²⁹The joy of young men is their strength: and the dignity of old men, their grey hairs.

³⁰The blueness of a wound shall wipe away evils: and stripes in the more inward parts of the belly.

Chapter 21

As the divisions of waters, so the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord: whithersoever he will, he shall turn it.

²Every way of a man seemeth right to himself: but the Lord weigheth the hearts.

³To do mercy and judgment, pleaseth the Lord more than victims.

⁴Haughtiness of the eyes is the enlarging of the heart: the lamp of the wicked is sin.

⁵The thoughts of the industrious always bring forth abundance: but every sluggard is always in want.

⁶He that gathereth treasures by a lying tongue, is vain and foolish, and shall stumble upon the snares of death.

⁷The robberies of the wicked shall be their downfall, because they would not do judgment.

⁸The perverse way of a man is strange: but as for him that is pure, his work is right.

⁹It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman, and in a common house.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desireth evil, he will not have pity on his neighbour.

¹¹When a pestilent man is punished, the little one will be wiser: and if he follow the wise, he will receive knowledge.

¹²The just considereth seriously the house of the wicked, that he may withdraw the wicked from evil.

¹³He that stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself, and shall not be heard.

¹⁴A secret present quencheth anger: and a gift in the bosom, the greatest wrath.

¹⁵It is joy to the just to do judgment: and dread to them that work iniquity.

¹⁶A man that shall wander out of the way of doctrine, shall abide in the company of the giants.

¹⁷He that loveth good cheer, shall be in want: he that loveth wine, and fat things, shall not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked is delivered up for the just: and the unjust for the righteous.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a wilderness, than with a quarrelsome and passionate woman.

²⁰There is a treasure to be desired, and oil in the dwelling of the just: and the foolish man shall spend it.

²¹He that followeth justice and mercy, shall find life, justice, and glory.

²²The wise man hath scaled the city of the strong, and hath cast down the strength of the confidence thereof.

²³He that keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from distress.

²⁴The proud and the arrogant is called ignorant, who in anger worketh pride.

²⁵Desires kill the slothful: for his hands have refused to work at all.

²⁶He longeth and desireth all the day: but he that is just, will give, and will not cease.

²⁷The sacrifices of the wicked are abominable, because they are offered of wickedness.

²⁸A lying witness shall perish: an obedient man shall speak of victory.

²⁹The wicked man impudently hardeneth his face: but he that is righteous, correcteth his way.

³⁰There is no wisdom, there is no prudence, there is no counsel against the Lord.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle: but the Lord giveth safety.