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Proverbs 19
New Century Version
Proverbs 19
New Century Version
19 It is better to be poor and honest
than to be foolish and tell lies.
2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is not good.
If you act too quickly, you might make a mistake.
3 People’s own foolishness ruins their lives,
but in their minds they blame the Lord.
4 Wealthy people are always finding more friends,
but the poor lose all theirs.
5 A witness who lies will not go free;
liars will never escape.
6 Many people want to please a leader,
and everyone is friends with those who give gifts.
7 Poor people’s relatives avoid them;
even their friends stay far away.
They run after them, begging,
but they are gone.
8 Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor,
and those who love learning will succeed.
9 A witness who lies will not go free,
liars will die.
10 A fool should not live in luxury.
A slave should not rule over princes.
11 The wise are patient;
they will be honored if they ignore insults.
12 An angry king is like a roaring lion,
but his kindness is like the dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child brings disaster to a father,
and a quarreling wife is like dripping water.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a wise wife is a gift from the Lord.
15 Lazy people sleep a lot,
and idle people will go hungry.
16 Those who obey the commands protect themselves,
but those who are careless will die.
17 Being kind to the poor is like lending to the Lord;
he will reward you for what you have done.
18 Correct your children while there is still hope;
do not let them destroy themselves.
19 People with quick tempers will have to pay for it.
If you help them out once, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept correction,
and in the end you will be wise.
21 People can make all kinds of plans,
but only the Lord’s plan will happen.
22 People want others to be loyal,
so it is better to be poor than to be a liar.
23 Those who respect the Lord will live
and be satisfied, unbothered by trouble.
24 Though the lazy person puts his hand in the dish,
he won’t lift the food to his mouth.
25 Whip those who make fun of wisdom, and perhaps foolish people will gain some wisdom.
Correct those with understanding, and they will gain knowledge.
26 A child who robs his father and sends away his mother
brings shame and disgrace on himself.
27 Don’t stop listening to correction, my child,
or you will forget what you have already learned.
28 An evil witness makes fun of fairness,
and wicked people love what is evil.
29 People who make fun of wisdom will be punished,
and the backs of foolish people will be beaten.
Proverbs 19
New International Version
Proverbs 19
New International Version
19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)
2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(B)
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(E)
7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!(K)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.[a](L)
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(M)
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.(N)
10 It is not fitting for a fool(O) to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(P)
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;(Q)
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(U)
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(V)
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.(Y)
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.(Z)
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(AA)
and he will reward them for what they have done.(AB)
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.(AC)
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,(AD)
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(AE)
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(AF)
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.(AG)
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(AH)
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning,(AI) and they will gain knowledge.(AJ)
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(AK)
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(AL)
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.(AM)
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.(AN)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
New Century Version (NCV) 
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.