Proverbs 19:8-23
Proverbs 19:8-23 The Message (MSG)
Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life. The person who tells lies gets caught; the person who spreads rumors is ruined. Blockheads shouldn’t live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss. Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget. Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew. A parent is worn to a frazzle by an irresponsible child; a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet. House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from GOD. Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry. Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills. Mercy to the needy is a loan to GOD, and GOD pays back those loans in full. Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse. Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD’s purpose prevails. It’s only human to want to make a buck, but it’s better to be poor than a liar. Fear-of-GOD is life itself, a full life, and serene—no nasty surprises.
Proverbs 19:8-23 King James Version (KJV)
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good. A false witness shall not be unpunished, And he that speaketh lies shall perish. Delight is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes. The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favour is as dew upon the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father: And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: And a prudent wife is from the LORD. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; But he that despiseth his ways shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; And that which he hath given will he pay him again. Chasten thy son while there is hope, And let not thy soul spare for his crying. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: For if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man's heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. The desire of a man is his kindness: And a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 19:8-23 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes. A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression. The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping. House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness casts into a deep sleep, And an idle man will suffer hunger. He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of conduct will die. One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again. Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.
Proverbs 19:8-23 New Century Version (NCV)
Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those who love learning will succeed. A witness who lies will not go free, liars will die. A fool should not live in luxury. A slave should not rule over princes. The wise are patient; they will be honored if they ignore insults. An angry king is like a roaring lion, but his kindness is like the dew on the grass. A foolish child brings disaster to a father, and a quarreling wife is like dripping water. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a wise wife is a gift from the LORD. Lazy people sleep a lot, and idle people will go hungry. Those who obey the commands protect themselves, but those who are careless will die. Being kind to the poor is like lending to the LORD; he will reward you for what you have done. Correct your children while there is still hope; do not let them destroy themselves. People with quick tempers will have to pay for it. If you help them out once, you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept correction, and in the end you will be wise. People can make all kinds of plans, but only the LORD’s plan will happen. People want others to be loyal, so it is better to be poor than to be a liar. Those who respect the LORD will live and be satisfied, unbothered by trouble.
Proverbs 19:8-23 American Standard Version (ASV)
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good. A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall perish. Delicate living is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes. The discretion of a man maketh him slow to anger; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favor is as dew upon the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father; And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. House and riches are an inheritance from fathers; But a prudent wife is from Jehovah. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And the idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that is careless of his ways shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto Jehovah, And his good deed will he pay him again. Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope; And set not thy heart on his destruction. A man of great wrath shall bear the penalty; For if thou deliver him, thou must do it yet again. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man’s heart; But the counsel of Jehovah, that shall stand. That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness; And a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of Jehovah tendeth to life; And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 19:8-23 New International Version (NIV)
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish. It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes! A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry. Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Proverbs 19:8-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish. Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes. The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger. He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die. He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand. What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
Proverbs 19:8-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes lies will perish. Luxury is not fitting for a fool; Much less for a slave to rule over princes. Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment]. The king’s wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass. [Hos 14:5] A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water]. House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers, But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the LORD. [Prov 18:22] Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger. He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die. [Prov 13:13; 16:17; Luke 10:28; 11:28] He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed. [Prov 28:27; Eccl 11:1; Matt 10:42; 25:40; 2 Cor 9:6-8; Heb 6:10] Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction. A man of great anger will bear the penalty [for his quick temper and lack of self-control]; For if you rescue him [and do not let him learn from the consequences of his action], you will only have to rescue him over and over again. Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, That you may be wise in the time to come. Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the LORD’S purpose for him that will stand (be carried out). [Job 23:13; Ps 33:10, 11; Is 14:26, 27; 46:10; Acts 5:39; Heb 6:17] That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love, But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. [Job 5:19; Ps 91:3; Prov 12:13; Is 46:4; Jer 1:8; Dan 6:27; 2 Tim 4:18]
Proverbs 19:8-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule over princes! Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.
Proverbs 19:8-23 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Do yourself a favor and love wisdom. Learn all you can, then watch your life flourish and prosper! Tell lies and you’re going to get caught, and the habitual liar is doomed. It doesn’t seem right when you see a fool living in the lap of luxury or a prideful servant ruling over princes. An understanding person demonstrates patience, for mercy means holding your tongue. When you are insulted, be quick to forgive and forget it, for you are virtuous when you overlook an offense. The rage of a king is like the roar of a lion, but his sweet favor is like a gentle, refreshing rain. A rebellious son breaks a father’s heart, and a nagging wife can drive you crazy! You can inherit houses and land from your parents, but a good wife only comes as a gracious gift from God! Go ahead—be lazy and passive. But you’ll go hungry if you live that way. Honor God’s holy instructions and life will go well for you. But if you despise his ways and choose your own plans, you will die. Every time you give to the poor you make a loan to the Lord. Don’t worry—you’ll be repaid in full for all the good you’ve done. Don’t be afraid to discipline your children while they’re still young enough to learn. Don’t indulge your children or be swayed by their protests. A hot-tempered man has to pay the price for his anger. If you bail him out once, you’ll do it a dozen times. Listen well to wise counsel and be willing to learn from correction so that by the end of your life you’ll be known for your wisdom. A person may have many ideas concerning God’s plan for his life, but only the designs of God’s purpose will succeed in the end. A man is charming when he displays tender mercies to others. And a lover of God who is poor and promises nothing is better than a rich liar who never keeps his promises. When you live a life of abandoned love, surrendered before the awe of God, here’s what you’ll experience: Abundant life. Continual protection. And complete satisfaction!
Proverbs 19:8-23 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish. It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury, much less for a slave to rule over princes. Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.