Provérbios 19

On Life and Conduct

1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

Than a person who is perverse in *19:1 Lit his lipsspeech and is a fool.

2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,

And one who hurries *19:2 Lit with his feethis footsteps *19:2 Lit sinserrs.

3 The foolishness of a person ruins his way,

And his heart rages against the Lord.

4 Wealth adds many friends,

But a poor person is separated from his friend.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,

And one who declares lies will not escape.

6 Many will seek the favor of a *19:6 Or noblegenerous person,

And every person is a friend to him who gives gifts.

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 *19:7 Lit notgone.

8 One who gets *19:8 Lit heartwisdom loves his own soul;

One who keeps understanding will find good.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

And one who declares lies will perish.

10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool;

Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

11 A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger,

And it is his 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 foolish son is destruction to his father,

And the quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.

14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,

But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,

And *19:15 Lit an idlea lazy *19:15 Lit soulperson will suffer hunger.

16 One who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,

But one who *19:16 Lit despisesis careless of *19:16 Lit waysconduct will die.

17 One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord,

And He will repay him for his *19:17 Or benefitsgood deed.

18 Discipline your son while there is hope,

And do not desire *19:18 Lit causing him to diehis death.

19 A person of great anger will suffer the penalty,

For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,

So that you may be wise *19:20 Lit in your latter endthe rest of your days.

21 Many plans are in a person’s heart,

But the advice of the Lord will stand.

22 What is desirable in a person is his *19:22 Or loyaltykindness,

And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.

23 * 19:23 Or Reverence for The fear of the Lordleads to life,

So that one may sleep satisfied, *19:23 Lit not visiteduntouched by evil.

24 The *19:24 Lit idle personlazy one buries his hand in the dish,

But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25 Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,

But rebuke one who has understanding, and he will *19:25 Lit discerngain knowledge.

26 He who assaults his father and drives his mother away

Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

27 Stop listening, my son, to discipline,

And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice,

And the mouth of the wicked *19:28 Another reading is pours outswallows wrongdoing.

29 * 19:29 LXX Rods Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And beatings for the backs of fools.