Proverbs 19

¹Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.

² Desire without knowledge is not good—
    how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

³ A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
    yet their heart rages against the Lord.

⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

⁵ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

⁶ Many curry favor with a ruler,
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

⁷ The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.^[a]

⁸ The one who gets wisdom loves life;
    the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished,
    and whoever pours out lies will perish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

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

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.

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

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

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

²⁷ Stop listening to instruction, my son,
    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.

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