19
On Life and Conduct
1 ABetter is a poor man who
Bwalks in his integrity
Than he who is perverse in
1speech and is a fool.
2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,
And he who hurries
1Ahis footsteps
2errs.
3 The
Afoolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart
Brages against the Loʀᴅ.
4 AWealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.
5 A
Afalse witness will not go unpunished,
And he who
1Btells lies will not escape.
6 AMany will seek the favor of a
1generous man,
And every man is a friend to him who
Bgives gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his
Afriends abandon him!
He
Bpursues
them with words,
but they are
1gone.
8 He who gets
1wisdom loves his own soul;
He who keeps understanding will
Afind good.
9 A
Afalse witness will not go unpunished,
And he who
1tells lies will perish.
10 Luxury is
Anot fitting for a fool;
Much less for a
Bslave to rule over princes.
11 A man’s
Adiscretion makes him slow to anger,
And it is his glory
Bto overlook a transgression.
12 The
Aking’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
But his favor is like
Bdew on the grass.
13 A
Afoolish son is destruction to his father,
And the
Bcontentions of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an
Ainheritance from fathers,
But a prudent wife is from the Loʀᴅ.
15 ALaziness casts into a deep sleep,
And an idle
1man will suffer hunger.
16 He who
Akeeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But he who
1is careless of
2conduct will die.
17 One who
Ais gracious to a poor man lends to the Loʀᴅ,
And He will repay him for his
1Bgood deed.
18 ADiscipline your son while there is hope,
And do not desire
1his death.
19 A man of great anger will bear the penalty,
For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.
20 AListen to counsel and accept discipline,
That you may be wise
1the rest of your days.
21 Many
Aplans are in a man’s heart,
But the
Bcounsel of the Loʀᴅ will stand.
22 What is desirable in a man is his
1kindness,
And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
23 The
1Afear of the Loʀᴅ
leads to life,
So that one may sleep
Bsatisfied,
2Cuntouched by evil.
24 The
Asluggard buries his hand
Bin the dish,
But will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 AStrike a scoffer and the
1naive may become shrewd,
But
Breprove one who has understanding and he will
2gain knowledge.
26 He
Awho assaults
his father
and drives
his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.
27 Cease listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice,
And the mouth of the wicked
1Aspreads iniquity.
29 1Judgments are prepared for
Ascoffers,
And
Bblows for the back of fools.