19 It is better to be poor and honest,
than to be a fool who speaks lies.
2 If you want to do something but you do not know how to do it,
that is dangerous!
If you hurry to do it, you will get into trouble.
3 Some people do silly things and so they destroy themselves.
Then they get angry with the Lord .
4 Rich people can easily find new friends.
But poor people will easily lose their friends.
5 If you tell lies in court, the judge will certainly punish you.
You will not go free!
6 Many people want an important person to like them.
Everyone wants to be the friend of someone who gives lots of gifts.
7 If someone is poor, all his family hate him.
His friends stay away from him.
Even if he goes to ask them for help,
he cannot find them anywhere.
8 If you learn to be wise,
it shows that you love yourself.
If you understand what is right,
you will do well.
9 If you tell lies in court, the judge will certainly punish you.
That will be the end of you!
10 Fools should not live like rich people.
Even worse, slaves should never have authority over rulers.
11 If someone is wise, he controls his anger.
When anyone hurts him, he is careful to forget it.
12 When the king is angry, he makes people afraid,
like a lion that roars.
But when he is pleased with you,
that is like dew on fresh grass.
13 A foolish child will destroy his father.
A woman who quarrels with her husband is like rain that never stops.
14 Your parents may give you riches and a house to live in.
But only the Lord can give you a wise wife.
15 A lazy person cannot wake up from sleep.
If he does no work, he will always be hungry.
16 If you obey God's commands, you will keep your life safe.
If you do not respect his teaching, you will die.
17 If you are kind to poor people, you are lending money to the Lord .
He will pay back the debt to you.
18 When your children do wrong things,
warn them while you still have the chance.
If you do not punish them,
you are helping them to go to an early death.
19 Anyone who cannot control his anger is always getting into trouble.
If you try to help him once, you will have to do it every time.
20 Accept advice and good teaching.
Then you will become wise one day.
21 You may have lots of ideas about what you want to do.
But it is the Lord 's plans that are important.
22 We all want other people to show faithful love.
It is better to be poor than to deceive other people.
23 If you respect and obey the Lord ,
you will enjoy life.
You will have peace in your mind
and no trouble will destroy you.
24 A lazy person pushes his hand into his bowl of food.
But then he is too lazy to lift his hand up to his mouth.
25 If you beat a proud fool,
a silly person may learn to be careful.
If you warn a wise person,
he himself will learn a lesson.
26 Anyone who robs his father or chases away his mother
is a bad son who brings shame to his family.
27 My child, never stop learning about what is right.
If you stop learning, you will soon forget what you already know.
28 If someone tells lies in court, he is laughing at justice.
Evil things are food that wicked people love to eat.
29 People who laugh at what is right will receive their punishment.
Fools will be beaten, as they deserve.
19 It is better to be poor and honest than to be a liar and a fool.
2 Being excited about something is not enough. You must also know what you are doing. Don’t rush into something, or you might do it wrong.
3 People ruin their lives with the foolish things they do, and then they blame the Lord for it.
4 Wealth will bring you many friends, but become poor and your friends will leave you.
5 A witness who lies will be punished; that liar will not escape.
6 Many people are nice to a generous person. Everyone wants to be friends with someone who gives gifts.
7 If you are poor, your family will turn against you, and your friends will avoid you even more. You might beg them for help, but no one will come to help you.
8 Be a friend to yourself; do all you can to be wise. Try hard to understand, and you will be rewarded.
9 A witness who lies will be punished. That liar will be destroyed.
10 A fool should not be rich, and a slave should not rule over princes.
11 Experience makes you more patient, and you are most patient when you ignore insults.
12 The shouts of an angry king are like a roaring lion, but his kind words are like a gentle rain falling softly on the grass.
13 A foolish son brings a flood of troubles to his father, and a complaining wife is like the constant dripping of water.
14 People receive houses and money from their parents, but a good wife is a gift from the Lord .
15 Laziness brings on sleep, and an appetite for rest brings on hunger.
16 Obey the law and live; ignore it and die.
17 Giving help to the poor is like loaning money to the Lord . He will pay you back for your kindness.
18 Discipline your children while there is still hope. Avoiding it can be deadly.
19 People who are quick to become angry must pay the price. Protect them from punishment, and they become worse.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline; then you, too, will become wise.
21 People might make many plans, but what the Lord says is what will happen.
22 People want a friend they can trust. It is better to be poor than to be a liar.
23 Respect the Lord and you will have a good life, one that is satisfying and free from trouble.
24 Some people are too lazy to take care of themselves. They will not even lift the food from their plate to their mouth.
25 Punish a rude, arrogant person, and even slow learners will become wiser. But just a little correction is enough to teach a person who has understanding.
26 Those who would steal from their father and chase away their mother are disgusting, shameful people.
27 My son, if you stop listening to instructions, you will keep making stupid mistakes.
28 Using a criminal as a witness makes a joke of justice. People like that only want to do wrong.
29 People who show no respect for anything must be brought to justice. You must punish such fools.
19 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord .
4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord .
15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord ; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.
20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord , that shall stand.
22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.
26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
19 ( A ) Better is a poor person who ( B ) walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [ a ] speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And one who hurries [ b ] ( C ) his footsteps [ c ] errs.
3 The ( D ) foolishness of a person ruins his way,
And his heart ( E ) rages against the Lord .
4 ( F ) Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.
5 A ( G ) false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who ( H ) declares lies will not escape.
6 ( I ) Many will seek the favor of a [ d ] generous person,
And every person is a friend to ( J ) him who gives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his ( K ) friends abandon him!
He ( L ) pursues them with words, but they are [ e ] gone.
8 One who gets [ f ] wisdom loves his own soul;
One who keeps understanding will ( M ) find good.
9 A ( N ) false witness will not go unpunished,
And one who declares lies will perish.
10 Luxury is ( O ) not fitting for a fool;
Much less for a ( P ) slave to rule over princes.
11 A person’s ( Q ) discretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory ( R ) to overlook an offense.
12 A ( S ) king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like ( T ) dew on the grass.
13 A ( U ) foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the ( V ) quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an ( W ) inheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Lord .
15 ( X ) Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,
And [ g ] a lazy [ h ] person will suffer hunger.
16 One who ( Y ) keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who [ i ] is careless of [ j ] conduct will die.
17 One who ( Z ) is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord ,
And He will repay him for his [ k ] ( AA ) good deed.
18 ( AB ) Discipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire [ l ] his 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 ( AC ) Listen to advice and accept discipline,
So that you may be wise [ m ] the rest of your days.
21 Many ( AD ) plans are in a person’s heart,
But the ( AE ) advice of the Lord will stand.
22 What is desirable in a person is his [ n ] kindness,
And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.
23 [ o ] The ( AF ) fear of the Lord leads to life,
So that one may sleep ( AG ) satisfied, [ p ] ( AH ) untouched by evil.
24 The [ q ] ( AI ) lazy one buries his hand ( AJ ) in the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 ( AK ) Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever,
But ( AL ) rebuke one who has understanding, and he will [ r ] gain knowledge.
26 He ( AM ) 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 [ s ] ( AN ) swallows wrongdoing.
29 [ t ] Judgments are prepared for ( AO ) scoffers,
And ( AP ) beatings for the backs of fools.
19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse. ( A )
2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way! ( B )
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. ( E )
5 A false witness ( F ) will not go unpunished, ( G )
and whoever pours out lies will not go free. ( H )
7 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 )
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. ( M )
9 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 )
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 )
