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Proverbs 19-21
New International Reader's Version
Proverbs 19-21
New International Reader's Version
19 It is better to be poor and to live without blame
than to be foolish and to twist words around.
2 Getting excited about something without knowledge isn’t good.
It’s even worse to be in a hurry and miss the way.
3 A person’s own foolish acts destroy their life.
But their heart is angry with the Lord.
4 Wealth brings many friends.
But even the closest friend of a poor person abandons them.
5 A dishonest witness will be punished.
And whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6 Many try to win the favor of rulers.
And everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts.
7 Poor people are avoided by their whole family.
Their friends avoid them even more.
The poor person runs after his friends to beg for help.
But they can’t be found.
8 Anyone who gets wisdom loves life.
Anyone who values understanding will soon succeed.
9 A dishonest witness will be punished.
And those who pour out lies will die.
10 It isn’t proper for a foolish person to live in great comfort.
And it is much worse when a slave rules over princes!
11 A person’s wisdom makes them patient.
They will be honored if they forgive someone who sins against them.
12 A king’s anger is like a lion’s roar.
But his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin.
A nagging wife is like dripping that never stops.
14 You will receive houses and wealth from your parents.
But a wise wife is given by the Lord.
15 Anyone who doesn’t want to work sleeps his life away.
And a person who refuses to work goes hungry.
16 Those who keep commandments keep their lives.
But those who don’t care how they live will die.
17 Anyone who is kind to poor people lends to the Lord.
God will reward them for what they have done.
18 Train your children, because then there is hope.
Don’t do anything to bring about their deaths.
19 A person with a bad temper must pay for it.
If you save them, you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept correction.
In the end you will be counted among those who are wise.
21 A person may have many plans in their heart.
But the Lord’s purpose wins out in the end.
22 Everyone longs for love that never fails.
It is better to be poor than to be a liar.
23 Having respect for the Lord leads to life.
Then you will be content and free from trouble.
24 A person who doesn’t want to work leaves his hand in the dish.
He won’t even bring it back up to his mouth!
25 If you whip a person who makes fun of others,
childish people will learn to be wise.
If you warn those who already understand what is right,
they will gain even more knowledge.
26 Anyone who robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and dishonor.
27 My son, if you stop listening to what I teach you,
you will wander away from the words of knowledge.
28 A dishonest witness makes fun of what is right.
The mouths of those who do wrong gulp down evil.
29 Those who make fun of others will be judged.
Foolish people will be punished.
20 Wine causes you to make fun of others, and beer causes you to start fights.
Anyone who is led astray by them is not wise.
2 A king’s anger brings terror like a lion’s roar.
Anyone who makes him angry may lose their life.
3 Avoiding a fight brings honor to a person.
But every foolish person is quick to argue.
4 Anyone who refuses to work doesn’t plow in the right season.
When they look for a crop at harvest time, they don’t find it.
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are like deep water.
But one who has understanding brings them out.
6 Many claim to have love that never fails.
But who can find a faithful person?
7 Those who do what is right live without blame.
Blessed are their children after them.
8 A king sits on his throne to judge.
He gets rid of all evil when he sees it.
9 No one can say, “I have kept my heart pure.
I’m ‘clean,’ and I haven’t sinned.”
10 The Lord hates two things.
He hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are.
He also hates measures that measure things larger or smaller than they really are.
11 Even small children are known by their actions.
So is their conduct really pure and right?
12 The Lord has made two things.
He has made ears that hear.
He has also made eyes that see.
13 Don’t love sleep, or you will become poor.
Stay awake, and you will have more food than you need.
14 “It’s no good. It’s no good!” says a buyer.
Then off they go and brag about what they bought.
15 There is gold, and there are plenty of rubies.
But lips that speak knowledge are a priceless jewel.
16 Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.
Hold it until you get paid back if it is done for an outsider.
17 Food gained by cheating tastes sweet.
But you will end up with a mouth full of gravel.
18 Plans are made by asking for guidance.
So if you go to war, get good advice.
19 A person who talks about others tells secrets.
So avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If anyone asks for bad things to happen to their father or mother,
that person’s lamp will be blown out in total darkness.
21 Property that you claim too soon
will not be blessed in the end.
22 Don’t say, “I’ll get even with you for the wrong you did to me!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will make things right for you.
23 The Lord hates weights that weigh things heavier or lighter than they really are.
Scales that are not honest don’t please him.
24 The Lord directs a person’s steps.
So how can anyone understand their own way?
25 A person is trapped if they make a hasty promise to God
and only later thinks about what they said.
26 A wise king gets rid of evil people.
He runs the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of a person is the lamp of the Lord.
It lights up what is deep down inside them.
28 Love and truth keep a king safe.
Faithful love makes his throne secure.
29 Young men are proud of their strength.
Gray hair brings honor to old men.
30 Blows and wounds scrub evil away.
And beatings make you pure deep down inside.
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is like a stream of water.
The Lord directs it toward all those who please him.
2 A person might think their own ways are right.
But the Lord knows what they are thinking.
3 Do what is right and fair.
The Lord accepts that more than sacrifices.
4 The proud eyes and hearts of sinful people are like a field not plowed.
Those things produce nothing good.
5 The plans of people who work hard succeed.
You can be just as sure that those in a hurry will become poor.
6 A fortune made by people who tell lies
amounts to nothing and leads to death.
7 The harmful things that evil people do will drag them away.
They refuse to do what is right.
8 The path of those who are guilty is crooked.
But the conduct of those who are not guilty is honest.
9 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.
10 Sinful people long to do evil.
They don’t show their neighbors any mercy.
11 When you punish someone who makes fun of others, childish people get wise.
By paying attention to wise people, the childish get knowledge.
12 The Blameless One knows where sinners live.
And he destroys them.
13 Whoever refuses to listen to the cries of poor people
will also cry out and not be answered.
14 A secret gift calms down anger.
A hidden favor softens great anger.
15 When you do what is fair, you make godly people glad.
But you terrify those who do what is evil.
16 Whoever leaves the path of understanding
ends up with those who are dead.
17 Anyone who loves pleasure will become poor.
Anyone who loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 Evil people become the payment for setting godly people free.
Those who aren’t faithful are the payment for honest people.
19 It is better to live in a desert
than to live with a nagging wife who loves to argue.
20 Wise people store up the best food and olive oil.
But foolish people eat up everything they have.
21 Anyone who wants to be godly and loving
finds life, success and honor.
22 A wise person can attack a strong city.
They can pull down the place of safety its people trust in.
23 Those who are careful about what they say
keep themselves out of trouble.
24 A proud person is called a mocker.
He thinks much too highly of himself.
25 Some people will die while they are still hungry.
That’s because their hands refuse to work.
26 All day long they hunger for more.
But godly people give without holding back.
27 God hates sacrifices that are brought by evil people.
He hates it even more when they bring them for the wrong reason.
28 Witnesses who aren’t honest will die.
But anyone who listens carefully will be a successful witness.
29 Sinful people try to look as if they were bold.
But honest people think about how they live.
30 No wisdom, wise saying or plan
can succeed against the Lord.
31 You can prepare a horse for the day of battle.
But the power to win comes from the Lord.
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
New International Reader's Version (NIRV) 
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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.