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19
1 Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.
2 It's not good to be someone who doesn't think. If you rush, things go wrong.
3 People mess up their lives by their own stupidity, and then get angry with the Lord.
4 If you're rich, you get a lot of friends, but if you're poor, you lose any friends you had.
5 A false witness will be punished; liars won't get away with their lies.
6 Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.
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.*The Hebrew of the last line is uncertain.
8 If you become wise, you have good self-esteem; if you learn good sense you'll be successful.
9 A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will 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.
11 If you have good sense you'll be slow to get angry; you gain respect by forgiving wrongs.
12 When a king gets angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; but his kindness is as soft as dew on the grass.
13 A stupid son makes his father miserable, and an argumentative wife is like dripping that never stops.
14 You inherit a house and wealth from your father, but a sensible wife is a gift from the Lord.
15 Lazy people are often fast asleep, but idleness means they're hungry.
16 Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll 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.
18 Discipline your son while there's still hope, but don't kill him.†“But don't kill him”: or “and don't let him destroy himself.”
19 People who often get angry have to pay the penalty; if you help them, you'll have to do it again.‡The Hebrew of the last line is uncertain.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you'll eventually become wise.
21 Human beings make many plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
22 The most desirable thing in anyone is trustworthy love; it is better to be poor than a liar.
23 Honoring the Lord is life, and you will rest contentedly, safe from harm.
24 Lazy people put their hands in a dish, and won't even lift the food to their mouths.
25 If you punish someone who mocks, you may help an immature person to learn. Correct the wise, and they become wiser.
26 A son who abuses his father and chases away his mother brings shame and disgrace.
27 My son, stop listening to my instruction and you'll soon give up following wisdom.
28 A crooked witness makes a mockery of justice; and the wicked wolf down evil.
29 Punishment is ready for those who mock; flogging is ready for the backs of the stupid.

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*19:7 The Hebrew of the last line is uncertain.

†19:18 “But don't kill him”: or “and don't let him destroy himself.”

‡19:19 The Hebrew of the last line is uncertain.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher