Proverbs 19 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 19 ▼
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1 Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool. Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. Desire without knowledge is not good— how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD. When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD. A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the LORD.
4 Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away. Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6 Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7 The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone. All a poor man’s brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. 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.
8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. 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 calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
15 Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry.
16 Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.
18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.
19 Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21 You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
22 Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.
23 Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24 Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25 If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace. He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten. Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools. Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
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