Proverbs 19

¹Better a poor man who lives with integrity[#Ps 26:11; 37:16; Pr 10:9; 14:2; 20:7; 28:6]

than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

²Even zeal is not good without knowledge,[#Rm 10:2]

and the one who acts hastily sins.

³A man’s own foolishness leads him astray,

yet his heart rages against the Lord .

⁴Wealth attracts many friends,[#Pr 14:20; 19:6]

but a poor man is separated from his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,[#Dt 19:16-19; Pr 19:9; 21:28]

and one who utters lies will not escape.

⁶Many seek a ruler’s favor,[#Pr 29:26]

and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.

⁷All the brothers of a poor man hate him;[#Ps 38:11]

how much more do his friends

keep their distance from him!

He may pursue them with words,

but they are not there.

⁸The one who acquires good sense loves himself;[#Lit acquires a heart]

one who safeguards understanding finds success.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and one who utters lies perishes.

¹⁰Luxury is not appropriate for a fool —[#Pr 17:7; 26:1]

how much less for a slave to rule over princes!

¹¹A person’s insight gives him patience,[#Pr 14:29]

and his virtue is to overlook an offense.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion,[#Pr 16:14]

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is his father’s ruin,[#Pr 10:1; 17:25; 28:7]

and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.

¹⁴A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,[#2Co 12:14]

but a sensible wife is from the Lord .

¹⁵Laziness induces deep sleep,

and a lazy person will go hungry.

¹⁶The one who keeps commands preserves himself;[#Lk 10:28]

one who disregards his ways will die.

¹⁷Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord ,[#Dt 15:7-10; Pr 14:31; 28:27; Ec 11:1-2; Mt 10:42; 25:40; 2Co 9:6-8; Heb 6:10]

and He will give a reward to the lender.

¹⁸Discipline your son while there is hope;

don’t be intent on killing him.

¹⁹A person with great anger bears the penalty;

if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again.

²⁰Listen to counsel and receive instruction

so that you may be wise later in life.

²¹Many plans are in a man’s heart,

but the Lord ’s decree will prevail.

²²What is desirable in a man is his fidelity;

better to be a poor man than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life;

one will sleep at night without danger.

²⁴The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;

he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth.

²⁵Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson;[#Pr 21:11]

rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge.

²⁶The one who assaults his father and evicts his mother

is a disgraceful and shameful son.

²⁷If you stop listening to correction, my son,

you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A worthless witness mocks justice,

and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for mockers,

and beatings for the backs of fools.