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Proverbs 19-21
Contemporary English Version
Proverbs 19-21
Contemporary English Version
It's Wise To Be Patient
19 It's better to be poor
and live right
than to be a stupid liar.
2 Willingness and stupidity
don't go well together.
If you are too eager,
you will miss the road.
3 We are ruined
by our own stupidity,
though we blame the Lord.
4 The rich have many friends;
the poor have none.
5 Dishonest witnesses and liars
won't escape punishment.
6 Everyone tries to be friends
of those who can help them.
7 If you are poor,
your own relatives reject you,
and your friends are worse.
When you really need them,
they are not there.[a]
8 Do yourself a favor
by having good sense—
you will be glad you did.
9 Dishonest witnesses and liars
will be destroyed.
10 It isn't right for a fool
to live in luxury
or for a slave to rule
in place of a king.
11 It's wise to be patient
and show what you are like
by forgiving others.
12 An angry king roars
like a lion,
but when a king is pleased,
it's like dew on the crops.
13 Foolish children bring disgrace
to their fathers.
A nagging wife goes on and on
like the drip, drip, drip
of the rain.
14 You may inherit all you own
from your parents,
but a sensible wife
is a gift from the Lord.
15 If you are lazy
and sleep your time away,
you will starve.
16 Obey the Lord's teachings
and you will live—
disobey and you will die.
17 Caring for the poor
is lending to the Lord,
and you will be well repaid.
18 Correct your children
before it's too late;
if you don't punish them,
trouble will come their way.[b]
19 People with bad tempers
are always in trouble,
and they need help
over and over again.[c]
20 Pay attention to advice
and accept correction,
so you can live sensibly.
21 We may make a lot of plans,
but the Lord will do
what he has decided.
22 What matters most is loyalty.
It's better to be poor
than to be a liar.
23 Showing respect to the Lord
brings true life—
if you do it, you can relax
without fear of danger.
24 Some people are too lazy
to lift a hand
to feed themselves.
25 Stupid fools learn good sense
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being corrected.
26 Disgraceful children
rob their father
and chase their mother away.
27 If you stop learning,
you will forget
what you already know.
28 A lying witness makes fun
of the court system,
and criminals think crime
is really delicious.
29 A stupid fool should expect
to be punished.
Words of Wisdom Are Better than Gold
20 It isn't smart to get drunk!
Drinking makes a fool of you
and leads to fights.
2 An angry ruler
is like a roaring lion—
make either one angry,
and you are dead.
3 It makes you look good
when you avoid a fight—
only fools love to quarrel.
4 If you are too lazy to plow,
don't expect a harvest.
5 Someone's thoughts may be
as deep as the ocean,
but if you are smart,
you will discover them.
6 There are many who say,
“You can trust me!”
But can they be trusted?
7 Good people live right,
and God blesses the children
who follow their example.
8 When rulers decide cases,
they weigh the evidence.
9 Can any of us really say,
“My thoughts are pure,
and my sins are gone”?
10 Two things the Lord hates
are dishonest scales
and dishonest measures.
11 The good or bad
that children do
shows what they are like.
12 Hearing and seeing
are gifts from the Lord.
13 If you sleep all the time,
you will starve;
if you get up and work,
you will have enough food.
14 Everyone likes to brag
about getting a bargain.
15 Sensible words are better
than gold or jewels.
16 You deserve to lose your coat
if you loan it to someone
to guarantee payment
for the debt of a stranger.
17 The food you get by cheating
may taste delicious,
but it turns to gravel.
18 Be sure you have sound advice
before making plans
or starting a war.
19 Stay away from gossips—
they tell everything.
20 Children who curse their parents
will go to the land of darkness
long before their time.
21 Getting rich quick[d]
may turn out to be a curse.
22 Don't try to get even.
Trust the Lord,
and he will help you.
23 The Lord hates dishonest scales
and dishonest weights.
So don't cheat!
24 How can we know
what will happen to us
when the Lord alone decides?
25 Don't fall into the trap
of making promises to God
before you think!
26 A wise ruler severely punishes
every criminal.
27 Our inner thoughts are a lamp
from the Lord,
and they search our hearts.
28 Rulers are protected
by God's mercy and loyalty,
but[e] they must be merciful
for their kingdoms to last.
29 Young people take pride
in their strength,
but the gray hairs of wisdom
are even more beautiful.
30 A severe beating can knock all
of the evil out of you!
The Lord Is In Charge
21 (A) The Lord controls rulers,
just as he determines
the course of rivers.
2 We may think we are doing
the right thing,
but the Lord always knows
what is in our hearts.
3 Doing what is right and fair
pleases the Lord
more than an offering.
4 Evil people are proud
and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
they produce.[f]
5 If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
you will end up poor.
6 Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
and no less than suicide.[g]
7 You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
and refusing to live right.
8 All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
will do right.
9 (B) It's better to stay outside
on the roof of your house
than to live inside
with a nagging wife.
10 Evil people want to do wrong,
even to their friends.
11 An ignorant fool learns
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being instructed.
12 God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
and will punish them.
13 If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
when you cry out for help.
14 A secret bribe will save you
from someone's fierce anger.
15 When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
and crooks are terrified.
16 If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
in the grave.
17 Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
will lose all they have.
18 God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
will pay the price.
19 It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
complaining wife.
20 Be sensible and store up
precious treasures—
don't waste them
like a fool.
21 If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
and goodness and honor.
22 One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
and capture their fortress.
23 Watching what you say
can save you
a lot of trouble.
24 If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
“You're a snob!”
25 If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
it could be fatal.
26 But people who obey God
are always generous.
27 (C) The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
with evil motives.
28 If you tell lies in court,
you are done for;
only a reliable witness
can do the job.
29 Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
before they take a step.
30 No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
you can't defeat the Lord.
31 Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
the Lord will always win.
Footnotes
- 19.7 When … there: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 19.18 if … way: Or “but be careful not to punish them too harshly.”
- 19.19 and they … again: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 20.21 quick: Or “the wrong way.”
- 20.28 by God's mercy … but: Or “by their mercy … and.”
- 21.4 but sin … produce: Or “but sin is the only light they ever follow.”
- 21.6 and … suicide: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Proverbs 19-21
New International Version
Proverbs 19-21
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)
2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;(AS)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.(AT)
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,(AY)
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(AZ)
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.(BG)
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure(BH) and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.(BI)
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(BJ)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge(BK) if it is done for an outsider.(BL)
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.(BO)
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(BP)
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,(BQ)
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(BR)
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”(BS)
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.(BT)
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.(BU)
24 A person’s steps are directed(BV) by the Lord.(BW)
How then can anyone understand their own way?(BX)
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.(BY)
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.(BZ)
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.(CE)
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.(CH)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(CI)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(CJ)
4 Haughty eyes(CK) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(CL)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(CN)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(CO)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(CP)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(CQ)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(CU)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(CV)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(CW)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(CX)
18 The wicked become a ransom(CY) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(CZ)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(DC)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(DF)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(DG)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(DH) give without sparing.(DI)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(DJ)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(DK)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(DN)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(DQ)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
- Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
- Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness
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