Proverbs 19

1Better to be poor and live with integrity than to be a fool with a lying tongue. 2Zeal without knowledge is not good; whoever rushes ahead misses the way. 3People ruin their lives by their own folly, and then their hearts rage against the LORD. 4Wealth brings many friends, but the poor lose even the friends they have. 5A false witness will not escape punishment, and one who pours out lies will not get away. 6Many try to win a ruler’s favor, and everyone is a friend to the one who gives gifts. 7All the relatives of the poor shun them; how much more do their friends keep away! The poor go after them with pleas, but they are gone. 8To gain sense is to love yourself; to hold on to understanding is to prosper. 9A false witness will not escape punishment, and one who pours out lies will perish.

10Luxury does not suit a fool; still less should a servant rule over princes. 11Good sense makes a person patient, and it is to their credit to overlook an offense. 12A king in a rage roars like a lion, but his goodwill falls like dew on the grass. 13A foolish son ruins his father, and a quarrelsome wife is like a leaky roof that never stops dripping. 14House and wealth are inherited from parents, but a sensible wife is from the LORD. 15Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle person will go hungry. 16Whoever keeps the commandment preserves their life, but whoever is careless about how they live will die. 17Whoever is kind to the poor is lending to the LORD, and he will pay them back for what they have done. 18Discipline your son while there is still hope; do not make yourself responsible for his death. 19A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; if you bail them out, you will only have to do it again. 20Listen to advice and accept correction, so that in the end you will be wise. 21People have many plans in their minds, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will prevail. 22What people want in a person is loyalty; better to be poor than a liar. 23The fear of the LORD leads to life; whoever has it rests content, untouched by trouble. 24The lazy bury their hand in the dish and will not even lift it back to their mouth. 25Flog a mocker, and the naive will learn a lesson; correct the discerning, and they will gain knowledge. 26A son who robs his father and drives out his mother brings shame and disgrace. 27My son, if you stop listening to correction, you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice, and the wicked swallow evil whole. 29Penalties stand ready for mockers, and the rod for fools’ backs.