19:1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in ①speech and is a fool.
▷ ①Lit his lips
19:2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And one who hurries ①his footsteps ②errs.
▷ ①Lit with his feet ②Lit sins
19:3 The foolishness of a person ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
19:4 Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.
19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will not escape.
19:6 Many will seek the favor of a ①generous person,
And every person is a friend to him who gives gifts.
▷ ①Or noble
19:7 All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his friends abandon him!
He pursues them with words, but they are ①gone.
▷ ①Lit not
19:8 One who gets ①wisdom loves his own soul;
One who keeps understanding will find good.
▷ ①Lit heart
19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will perish.
19:10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a slave to rule over princes.
19:11 A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory to overlook an offense.
19:12 A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
19:13 A foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.
19:14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
19:15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And ①a lazy ②person will suffer hunger.
▷ ①Lit an idle ②Lit soul
19:16 One who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who ①is careless of ②conduct will die.
▷ ①Lit despises ②Lit ways
19:17 One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the LORD,
And He will repay him for his ①good deed.
▷ ①Or benefits
19:18 Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire ①his death.
▷ ①Lit causing him to die
19:19 A person of great anger will suffer the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
19:20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise ①the rest of your days.
▷ ①Lit in your latter end
19:21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,
But the advice of the LORD will stand.
19:22 What is desirable in a person is his ①kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.
▷ ①Or loyalty
19:23 ①The fear of the LORD leads to life,
So that one may sleep satisfied, ②untouched by evil.
▷ ①Or Reverence for ②Lit not visited
19:24 The ①lazy one buries his hand in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
▷ ①Lit idle person
19:25 Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,
But rebuke one who has understanding, and he will ①gain knowledge.
▷ ①Lit discern
19:26 He who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
19:27 Stop listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
19:28 A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked ①swallows wrongdoing.
▷ ①Another reading is pours out
19:29 ①Judgments are prepared for scoffers,
And beatings for the backs of fools.
▷ ①LXX Rods