Proverbs 19

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