Proverbs Chapter 19

¹ The honest poor are better off

than dishonest fools.

                  ²It’s not good to not know;

            enthusiasm doesn’t compensate for ignorance.

³ When people’s foolishness brings them to ruin,      

they blame Yahveh.

                  ⁴Wealth draws lots of friends

            that desert you if poverty comes.

⁵ False witnesses will get their just due;

perjurers won’t get off free.

                  ⁶Many ask for generous people’s blessing;

            everybody makes friends with bighearted people.    

Prov 19:1-6

⁷ Relatives of the poor despise them,

      and their friends leave!

Appealing to them won’t bring them back.

                  ⁸People that gain wisdom care about themselves;

            they prosper who cherish understanding.

⁹ False witnesses won’t go unpunished;

liars perish.

                  ¹⁰Living in luxury isn’t fitting for a fool,

            much less for a slave to rule over princes.

¹¹ Discretion gives you control over anger;

you learn to delight in overlooking sin.

                  ¹²A king’s anger is like a lion’s roar;

            his blessing falls like dew on grass.                          

Prov 19:7-12

¹³ A foolish child destroys a father;

a nagging wife is like constant dripping.

                  ¹⁴Houses and wealth people inherit from parents,

            but a prudent wife comes from Yahveh.

¹⁵ Laziness lulls people to sleep;

shiftless people go hungry.

                  ¹⁶Those who keep the commandments keep their life;

            people that are careless about their way will lose it.

¹⁷ Those gracious to the poor lend to Yahveh;

he’ll reward them for the good they do.

                  ¹⁸Discipline your children while there’s hope

            so you won’t ruin their lives.                                     

Prov 19:13-18

¹⁹ Let angry people suffer the consequences;

bail them out, and you’ll have it to do again.

                  ²⁰Listen to advice and respond to discipline

            so you can gain wisdom for later on.

²¹ People make their plans,

but Yahveh’s counsel is what prevails.

                  ²²Loyalty makes everyone better;

            poor people are better at it than liars.

²³ Respecting Yahveh leads to life;

you can sleep in peace without worrying about misfortune.

                  ²⁴Lazy people stick their fingers in the plate,

            but they don’t even bring the food to their mouth.    

Prov 19:19-24

²⁵ Punish scoffers so the simpleminded can learn prudence;

reprove the wise and they’ll be wiser still.

                  ²⁶Children that mistreat their parents

            are an embarrassment and a public disgrace.

²⁷ If you stop paying attention to discipline, child,

you’ll never learn what you need to know.

                  ²⁸A worthless witness makes mockery of justice;

            a sinful mouth eats sin.

²⁹ Penalties are designed for scoffers,

and scourging for the backs of fools.                                    

Prov 19:25-29