Proverbs 19 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.
1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
2 It's not good to be someone who doesn't think. If you rush, things go wrong.
2 It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty with one’s feet and miss the way.
3 People mess up their lives by their own stupidity, and then get angry with the Lord.
3 The foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against Yahweh.
4 If you're rich, you get a lot of friends, but if you're poor, you lose any friends you had.
4 Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.
5 A false witness will be punished; liars won't get away with their lies.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.
6 Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.
6 Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7 If a poor man's relatives can't stand him, how much more will his friends avoid him! He tries to talk with them but they don't listen.
7 All the relatives of the poor shun him; how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
8 If you become wise, you have good self-esteem; if you learn good sense you'll be successful.
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.
9 A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will perish.
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
10 It's not right for stupid people to live in luxury, and it's even worse for a slave to rule over leaders.
10 Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
11 If you have good sense you'll be slow to get angry; you gain respect by forgiving wrongs.
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger. It is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 When a king gets angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; but his kindness is as soft as dew on the grass.
12 The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A stupid son makes his father miserable, and an argumentative wife is like dripping that never stops.
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father. A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
14 You inherit a house and wealth from your father, but a sensible wife is a gift from the Lord.
14 House and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
15 Lazy people are often fast asleep, but idleness means they're hungry.
15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. The idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16 Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll die.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
17 If you're kind to the poor, you're lending to the Lord, and he will repay you well for what you've done.
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.
18 Discipline your son while there's still hope, but don't kill him.
18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; don’t be a willing party to his death.
19 People who often get angry have to pay the penalty; if you help them, you'll have to do it again.
19 A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty, for if you rescue him, you must do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you'll eventually become wise.
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end.
21 Human beings make many plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.
22 The most desirable thing in anyone is trustworthy love; it is better to be poor than a liar.
22 That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.
23 Honoring the Lord is life, and you will rest contentedly, safe from harm.
23 The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.
24 Lazy people put their hands in a dish, and won't even lift the food to their mouths.
24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25 If you punish someone who mocks, you may help an immature person to learn. Correct the wise, and they become wiser.
25 Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 A son who abuses his father and chases away his mother brings shame and disgrace.
26 He who robs his father and drives away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 My son, stop listening to my instruction and you'll soon give up following wisdom.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A crooked witness makes a mockery of justice; and the wicked wolf down evil.
28 A corrupt witness mocks justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.
29 Punishment is ready for those who mock; flogging is ready for the backs of the stupid.
29 Penalties are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 28:6; Proverbs 16:8; Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 19:22; Proverbs 14:2
- 2 Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 29:20; Philippians 1:9; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Isaiah 28:16
- 3 Revelation 16:9–11; Psalm 37:7; Proverbs 11:3; 1 Samuel 22:13–23; 2 Chronicles 16:9–10
- 4 Proverbs 14:20; Proverbs 19:6–7; Luke 15:13–15; Job 19:13–17; Proverbs 10:15
- 5 Proverbs 21:28; Proverbs 6:19; Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 19:9; Daniel 6:24
- 6 Proverbs 29:26; Proverbs 18:16; Proverbs 17:8; Genesis 42:6; Romans 6:23
- 7 Psalm 88:8; Proverbs 18:23; 1 John 3:17–18; Psalm 38:11; Proverbs 19:4
- 8 Proverbs 16:20; Proverbs 8:35–36; Proverbs 4:6; Proverbs 3:18; 1 Peter 3:10
- 9 Revelation 22:15; Proverbs 19:5; Revelation 19:20; 2 Peter 2:1–3; Revelation 21:8
- 10 Proverbs 30:21–22; Proverbs 26:1; Luke 16:19; Luke 16:23; James 4:9
- 11 Proverbs 16:32; Proverbs 14:29; James 1:19; Colossians 3:12–13; Proverbs 15:18
- 12 Hosea 14:5; Proverbs 20:2; Luke 12:4–5; Proverbs 16:14–15; Proverbs 28:15
- 13 Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 27:15; Proverbs 25:24; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 17:21
- 14 Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 31:10–31; Proverbs 13:22; Proverbs 3:6; James 1:17
- 15 Proverbs 23:21; Proverbs 20:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 6:9–10; Romans 13:11–12
- 16 Proverbs 13:13; Luke 10:28; 1 John 5:3; Luke 11:28; 1 John 3:22
- 17 Proverbs 28:27; Hebrews 6:10; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6–8; Matthew 25:40
- 18 Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 29:15; Proverbs 22:15; Proverbs 23:13–14; Hebrews 12:7–10
- 19 Proverbs 25:28; 1 Samuel 24:17–22; Proverbs 29:22; 2 Samuel 16:5–6; Proverbs 22:24–25
- 20 Proverbs 12:15; Proverbs 8:34–35; Proverbs 2:1–9; Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 4:1
- 21 Proverbs 16:9; Isaiah 14:24; Proverbs 16:1; Psalm 33:10–11; Isaiah 46:10
- 22 2 Corinthians 8:12; 2 Chronicles 6:8; Mark 14:6–8; Mark 12:41–44; Proverbs 19:1
- 23 Matthew 5:6; Proverbs 14:26–27; Isaiah 58:10–11; Proverbs 12:21; 1 Timothy 4:8
- 24 Proverbs 15:19; Proverbs 6:9–10; Proverbs 26:13–16; Proverbs 24:30–34; Proverbs 19:15
- 25 Proverbs 21:11; Proverbs 17:10; Revelation 3:19; Proverbs 15:5; Proverbs 9:8–10
- 26 Proverbs 10:5; Proverbs 28:24; Proverbs 30:17; Proverbs 17:2; Proverbs 17:25
- 27 1 Timothy 6:3–5; Mark 4:24; 1 John 4:1; Proverbs 14:7; Matthew 7:15
- 28 Job 15:16; Luke 18:2–4; Acts 6:11–13; Job 34:7; 1 Kings 21:13
- 29 Proverbs 26:3; Proverbs 10:13; Proverbs 9:12; 2 Peter 3:3–7; Acts 13:40–41
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For even as God does not need our possessions, so do we need to offer something to God; as Solomon says: "He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord." For God, who stands in need of nothing, takes our good works to Himself for this purpose, that He may grant us a recompense of His own good …
He Himself hath said, "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to God." Thou hast lent to God: put it to His account.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For "he that showeth mercy to a poor man," it is said, "lendeth to the Lord." He gave thee also an earnest, and bail, and this being God!
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)