Proverbs 19; Proverbs 20; Proverbs 21

Proverbs 19

1 It is better to be poor and to live without blame than to be foolish and to twist words around.

2 It isn't good to get all stirred up without knowledge. And it isn't good to be in a hurry and miss the way.

3 A man's own foolish acts destroy his life. But his heart is angry with the Lord.

4 Wealth brings many friends. But the friends of poor people leave them alone.

5 A dishonest witness will be punished. And those who pour out lies will not go free.

6 Many try to win the favor of rulers. And everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.

7 A poor person is avoided by his whole family. His friends avoid him even more. The poor person runs after them to beg. But he can't find them.

8 Anyone who gets wisdom loves himself. Anyone who values understanding succeeds.

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 man's wisdom makes him patient. He will be honored if he forgives someone who sins against him.

12 A king's anger is like a lion's roar. But his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 If a child is foolish, he destroys his father. 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 obey what they are taught guard 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 him for what he has done.

18 Train your child. Then there is hope. Don't do anything to bring about his death.

19 Anyone who burns with anger must pay for it. If you save him, you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept what you are taught. In the end you will be wise.

21 A man may have many plans in his heart. But the LORD's purpose wins out in the end.

22 Every man 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 someone who already understands what is right, he will gain even more knowledge.

26 A child who robs his father and drives out his mother 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.

Proverbs 20

1 Wine causes you to make fun of others, and beer causes you to start fights. Anyone who is led down the wrong path by them is not wise.

2 A king's anger is like a lion's roar. Anyone who makes him angry may lose his life.

3 Avoiding a fight brings honor to a man. But every foolish person is quick to argue.

4 Anyone who refuses to work doesn't plow in the right season. When he looks for a crop at harvest time, he doesn't find it.

5 The purposes of a man's heart are like deep water. But a man who has understanding brings them out.

6 Many claim to have love that never fails. But who can find a faithful man?

7 Anyone who does what is right lives without blame. Blessed are his children after him.

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. 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 A child is known by his actions. He is known by whether his conduct is 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 he goes and brags about what he bought.

15 There is gold. 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 he does it for a woman who commits adultery.

17 Food gained by cheating tastes sweet to a man. But he will end up with a mouth full of sand.

18 Make plans by asking for guidance. 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 calls down curses on his father or mother, his lamp will be blown out in total darkness.

21 Property you gain quickly at the beginning 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 save 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 man's steps. So how can anyone understand his own way?

25 A man is trapped if he makes a hasty promise to God and only later thinks about what he said.

26 A wise king gets rid of evil people. He runs the threshing wheel over them.

27 The lamp of the LORD searches a man's heart. It searches deep down inside him.

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 wash evil away. And beatings make you pure deep down inside.

Proverbs 21

1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. He directs it like a stream of water anywhere he pleases.

2 Everything a man does might seem right to him. But the LORD knows what he is thinking.

3 Do what is right and fair. The LORD accepts that more than sacrifices.

4 Proud eyes and a proud heart are the lamp of sinful people. But those things are evil.

5 The plans of people who work hard succeed. You can be 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 A sinful person longs to do evil. He doesn't show his neighbor any mercy.

11 When you punish someone who makes fun of others, childish people get wise. If you teach a person who is already wise, he will get even more knowledge.

12 The Blameless One knows where sinners live. And he destroys them.

13 If you refuse to listen to the cries of poor people, you too will cry out and not be answered.

14 A secret gift calms anger down. 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 A man who 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 oil will never be rich.

18 Those who do what is evil pay the price for setting godly people free. Those who aren't faithful pay the price for honest people.

19 It is better to live in a desert than to live with a nagging, angry wife.

20 The best food and olive oil are stored up in the houses of wise people. But a foolish man eats up everything he has.

21 Anyone who wants to be godly and loving finds life, success and honor.

22 Those who are wise can attack a strong city. They can pull down the place of safety its people trust in.

23 Anyone who is careful about what he says keeps himself 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. And anyone who listens to them will be destroyed forever.

29 A sinful man tries to look as if he were bold. But an honest person thinks about how he lives.

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.