Proverbs 19–21

19Better the poor whose walk is blameless

than a fool whose lips are perverse.^w

²Desire without knowledge is not good—

how much more will hasty feet miss the way!^x

³A person’s own folly^y leads to their ruin,

yet their heart rages against the Lord.^z

⁴Wealth attracts many friends,

but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.^a

⁵A false witness^b will not go unpunished,^c

and whoever pours out lies will not go free.^d

⁶Many curry favor with a ruler,^e

and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.^f

⁷The poor are shunned by all their relatives—

how much more do their friends avoid them!^g

Though the poor pursue them with pleading,

they are nowhere to be found.^ah

⁸The one who gets wisdom loves life;

the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.ⁱ

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and whoever pours out lies will perish.^j

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool^k to live in luxury—

how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!^l

¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience;^m

it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,ⁿ

but his favor is like dew^o on the grass.^p

¹³A foolish child is a father’s ruin,^q

and a quarrelsome wife is like

the constant dripping of a leaky roof.^r

¹⁴Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,^s

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.^t

¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep,

and the shiftless go hungry.^u

¹⁶Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,

but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.^v

¹⁷Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,^w

and he will reward them for what they have done.^x

¹⁸Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;

do not be a willing party to their death.^y

¹⁹A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;

rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

²⁰Listen to advice and accept discipline,^z

and at the end you will be counted among the wise.^a

²¹Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.^b

²²What a person desires is unfailing love^b;

better to be poor than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life;

then one rests content, untouched by trouble.^c

²⁴A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

he will not even bring it back to his mouth!^d

²⁵Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;

rebuke the discerning,^e and they will gain knowledge.^f

²⁶Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother^g

is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷Stop listening to instruction, my son,^h

and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.ⁱ

²⁹Penalties are prepared for mockers,

and beatings for the backs of fools.^j

20Wine^k is a mocker^l and beer a brawler;

whoever is led astray^m by them is not wise.ⁿ

²A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;^o

those who anger him forfeit their lives.^p

³It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,

but every fool^q is quick to quarrel.^r

⁴Sluggards^s do not plow in season;

so at harvest time they look but find nothing.^t

⁵The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,^u

but one who has insight draws them out.

⁶Many claim to have unfailing love,

but a faithful person who can find?^v

⁷The righteous lead blameless lives;^w

blessed are their children after them.^x

⁸When a king sits on his throne to judge,^y

he winnows out all evil with his eyes.^z

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

I am clean and without sin”?^b

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures—

the Lord detests them both.^c

¹¹Even small children are known by their actions,

so is their conduct really pure^d and upright?

¹²Ears that hear and eyes that see—

the Lord has made them both.^e

¹³Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;^f

stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—

then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

¹⁵Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,

but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;

hold it in pledge^g if it is done for an outsider.^h

¹⁷Food gained by fraud tastes sweet,ⁱ

but one ends up with a mouth full of gravel.^j

¹⁸Plans are established by seeking advice;

so if you wage war, obtain guidance.^k

¹⁹A gossip betrays a confidence;^l

so avoid anyone who talks too much.

²⁰If someone curses their father or mother,^m

their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.ⁿ

²¹An inheritance claimed too soon

will not be blessed at the end.

²²Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”^o

Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.^p

²³The Lord detests differing weights,

and dishonest scales do not please him.^q

²⁴A person’s steps are directed^r by the Lord.^s

How then can anyone understand their own way?^t

²⁵It is a trap to dedicate something rashly

and only later to consider one’s vows.^u

²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked;

he drives the threshing wheel over them.^v

²⁷The human spirit is^a the lamp of the Lord^w

that sheds light on one’s inmost being.^x

²⁸Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;

through love^y his throne is made secure.^z

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength,

gray hair the splendor of the old.^a

³⁰Blows and wounds scrub^b away evil,

and beatings^c purge the inmost being.

21In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water

that he channels toward all who please him.^d

²A person may think their own ways are right,

but the Lord weighs the heart.^e

³To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^f

⁴Haughty eyes^g and a proud heart—

the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit^h

as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^ai

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,^j

for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,^k

but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.^l

¹⁰The wicked crave evil;

their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;

by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.^m

¹²The Righteous One^b takes note of the house of the wicked

and brings the wicked to ruin.ⁿ

¹³Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

will also cry out^o and not be answered.^p

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger,

and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.^q

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous

but terror to evildoers.^r

¹⁶Whoever strays from the path of prudence

comes to rest in the company of the dead.^s

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;

whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.^t

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom^u for the righteous,

and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert

than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.^v

²⁰The wise store up choice food and olive oil,

but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and love

finds life, prosperity^cw and honor.^x

²²One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty^y

and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³Those who guard their mouths^z and their tongues

keep themselves from calamity.^a

²⁴The proud and arrogant person^b—“Mocker” is his name—

behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,^c

because his hands refuse to work.

²⁶All day long he craves for more,

but the righteous^d give without sparing.^e

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable^f—

how much more so when brought with evil intent!^g

²⁸A false witness^h will perish,ⁱ

but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹The wicked put up a bold front,

but the upright give thought to their ways.^j

³⁰There is no wisdom,^k no insight, no plan

that can succeed against the Lord.^l

³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but victory rests with the Lord.^m