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19 Better to be poor and live one’s life uprightly
    than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.

To act without knowing how you function is not good;
    and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.

A person’s own folly is what ruins his way,
    but he rages in his heart against Adonai.

Wealth brings in many friends,
    but the poor man loses the one friend he has.

A false witness will not go unpunished;
    whoever breathes out lies will not escape.

Many ask favors of a generous person —
    to a giver of gifts, everyone is a friend.

A poor man’s relatives all hate him;
    even more his friends stay away from him.
He may pursue them with entreaties,
    but they aren’t there to be found.

To acquire good sense is to love oneself;
    to treasure discernment is to prosper.
A false witness will not go unpunished;
    whoever breathes out lies will perish.

10 It isn’t fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
    and even less for a slave to govern princes.

11 People with good sense are slow to anger,
    and it is their glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A son who is a fool is his father’s ruin,
    and a nagging wife is like a leak that keeps dripping.
14 A house and wealth are inherited from ancestors,
    but a sensible wife is from Adonai.

15 Laziness makes people fall asleep,
    and an idle person will go hungry.

16 He who keeps a mitzvah keeps himself safe,
    but he who doesn’t care how he lives will die.

17 He who is kind to the poor is lending to Adonai;
    and he will repay him for his good deed.

18 Discipline your child while there is hope,
    but don’t get so angry that you kill him!

19 A violent-tempered person will be punished;
    if you try to save him from it, you make things worse.

20 Listen to advice, and accept discipline,
    so that in the end you will be wise.

21 One can devise many plans in one’s mind,
    but Adonai’s plan will prevail.

22 A man’s lust is his shame,
    and a poor man is better than a liar.

23 The fear of Adonai leads to life;
    one who has it is satisfied and rests untouched by evil.

24 The lazy person buries his hand in the dish
    but doesn’t even bother to bring it to his mouth.
25 If you strike a scorner,
    the simple will learn to act wisely;
if you reprove the intelligent,
    he will understand what you mean.

26 One who mistreats his father and evicts his mother
    is a son who brings them shame and disgrace.

27 My son, if you stop heeding discipline,
    you will stray from the principles of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing.

29 Judgments are in store for scorners
    and blows for the backs of fools.

19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)

Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(B)

A person’s own folly(C) leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.(D)

Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(E)

A false witness(F) will not go unpunished,(G)
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.(H)

Many curry favor with a ruler,(I)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(J)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(K)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](L)

The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(M)

A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.(N)

10 It is not fitting for a fool(O) to live in luxury—
    how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(P)

11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;(Q)
    it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,(R)
    but his favor is like dew(S) on the grass.(T)

13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(U)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(V)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(W)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(X)

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
    and the shiftless go hungry.(Y)

16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
    but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.(Z)

17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(AA)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(AB)

18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
    do not be a willing party to their death.(AC)

19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
    rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,(AD)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(AE)

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(AF)

22 What a person desires is unfailing love[b];
    better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(AG)

24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke the discerning,(AI) and they will gain knowledge.(AJ)

26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(AK)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(AL)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.(AM)

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.(AN)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  2. Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame