Proverbs 19:1
New International Version
Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

New Living Translation
Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.

English Standard Version
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

Berean Standard Bible
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.

King James Bible
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

New King James Version
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

New American Standard Bible
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

NASB 1995
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

NASB 1977
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.

Legacy Standard Bible
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked in lips and is a fool.

Amplified Bible
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.

Christian Standard Bible
Better a poor person who lives with integrity than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Better a poor man who lives with integrity than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

American Standard Version
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Better is the poor that walks in integrity than the rich that perverts his ways.

Contemporary English Version
It's better to be poor and live right than to be a stupid liar.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is the poor man, that walketh in his simplicity, than a rich man that is perverse in his lips, and unwise.

English Revised Version
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that perverse in his lips and is a fool.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Better to be a poor person who lives innocently than to be one who talks dishonestly and is a fool.

Good News Translation
It is better to be poor but honest than to be a lying fool.

International Standard Version
A poor man who walks blamelessly is better than a fool who speaks perversely.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and a fool at the same time.

Literal Standard Version
Better [is] the poor walking in his integrity, | Than the perverse [in] his lips—who [is] a fool.

Majority Standard Bible
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.

New American Bible
Better to be poor and walk in integrity than rich and crooked in one’s ways.

NET Bible
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.

New Revised Standard Version
Better the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of speech who is a fool.

New Heart English Bible
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

Webster's Bible Translation
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

World English Bible
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

Young's Literal Translation
Better is the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse in his lips, who is a fool.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Man of Integrity
1Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse. 2Even zeal is no good without knowledge, and he who hurries his footsteps misses the mark.…

Cross References
Psalm 26:11
But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me.

Proverbs 4:24
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.

Proverbs 14:2
He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.

Proverbs 20:7
The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.

Proverbs 28:6
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.


Treasury of Scripture

Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

perverse

1 Samuel 25:17,25
Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him…

Isaiah 59:3
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

Matthew 12:31-34
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men…

Jump to Previous
Better Blameless Fool Integrity Lips Perverse Poor Speech Time Twisted Upright Walk Walketh Walking Walks Ways Wealth
Jump to Next
Better Blameless Fool Integrity Lips Perverse Poor Speech Time Twisted Upright Walk Walketh Walking Walks Ways Wealth
Proverbs 19
1. Life and Conduct














XIX.

(1) Perverse in his lips.--One who distorts the truth; translated "froward" in Proverbs 4:24. That a rich man is here intended appears likely from the parallel passage in Proverbs 28:6.

Verse 1. - Better is the poor that walkth in his integrity. The word for "poor" is, here and in vers. 7, 22, rash, which signifies "poor" in opposition to "rich." In the present reading of the second clause, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool, there seems to be a failure in antithesis, unless we can understand the fool as a rich fool. This, the repetition of the maxim in Proverbs 28:6 ("Than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich"), would lead one to admit. The Vulgate accordingly has, Quam dives torquem labia sua, et insipiens, "Than a rich man who is of perverse lips and a fool." With this the Syriac partly agrees. So that, if we take this reading, the moralist says that the poor man who lives a guileless, innocent life, content with his lot, and using no wrong means to improve his fortunes, is happier and better than the rich man who is hypocritical in his words and deceives others, and has won his wealth by such means, thus proving himself to be a fool, a morally bad man. But if we content ourselves with the Hebrew text, we must find the antithesis in the simple, pious, poor man, contrasted with the arrogant rich man, who sneers at his poor neighbour as an inferior creature. The writer would seem to insinuate that there is a natural connection between poverty and integrity of life on the one hand, and wealth and folly on the other. He would assent to the sweeping assertion, Omnis dives ant iniquus aut iniqui heres, "Every rich man is either a rascal or a rascal's heir."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Better
טֽוֹב־ (ṭō·wḇ-)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

a poor man
רָ֭שׁ (rāš)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7326: To be in want or poor

who walks
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ (hō·w·lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

with integrity
בְּתֻמּ֑וֹ (bə·ṯum·mōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8537: Completeness, integrity, also part of the high priest's breastplate

than a fool
כְסִֽיל׃ (ḵə·sîl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool

whose lips
שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו (p̄ā·ṯāw)
Noun - fdc | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

are perverse.
מֵעִקֵּ֥שׁ (mê·‘iq·qêš)
Preposition-m | Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6141: Twisted, perverted


Links
Proverbs 19:1 NIV
Proverbs 19:1 NLT
Proverbs 19:1 ESV
Proverbs 19:1 NASB
Proverbs 19:1 KJV

Proverbs 19:1 BibleApps.com
Proverbs 19:1 Biblia Paralela
Proverbs 19:1 Chinese Bible
Proverbs 19:1 French Bible
Proverbs 19:1 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor who walks (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 18:24
Top of Page
Top of Page