Proverbs 19:4-17
Proverbs 19:4-17 New International Version (NIV)
Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts. The poor are shunned by all their relatives— how much more do their friends avoid them! Though the poor pursue them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 The Message (MSG)
Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies, but poor people are avoided like a plague. Perjury won’t go unpunished. Would you let a liar go free? Lots of people flock around a generous person; everyone’s a friend to the philanthropist. When you’re down on your luck, even your family avoids you— yes, even your best friends wish you’d get lost. If they see you coming, they look the other way— out of sight, out of mind. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 King James Version (KJV)
Wealth maketh many friends; But the poor is separated from his neighbour. A false witness shall not be unpunished, And he that speaketh lies shall not escape. Many will intreat the favour of the prince: And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him? He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape. Many will seek the favor of a generous man, And every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 New Century Version (NCV)
Wealthy people are always finding more friends, but the poor lose all theirs. A witness who lies will not go free; liars will never escape. Many people want to please a leader, and everyone is friends with those who give gifts. Poor people’s relatives avoid them; even their friends stay far away. They run after them, begging, but they are gone. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 American Standard Version (ASV)
Wealth addeth many friends; But the poor is separated from his friend. A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that uttereth lies shall not escape. Many will entreat the favor of the liberal man; And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, but they are gone. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 New King James Version (NKJV)
Wealth makes many friends, But the poor is separated from his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape. Many entreat the favor of the nobility, And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts. All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Wealth makes many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. [Prov 14:20] A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes out lies will not escape. [Ex 23:1; Deut 19:16-19; Prov 6:19; 21:28] Many will seek the favor of a generous and noble man, And everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts. All the brothers of a poor man hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. 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]
Proverbs 19:4-17 New Living Translation (NLT)
Wealth makes many “friends”; poverty drives them all away. A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape. Many seek favors from a ruler; everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts! The relatives of the poor despise them; how much more will their friends avoid them! Though the poor plead with them, their friends are gone. 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!
Proverbs 19:4-17 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Being wealthy means having lots of “friends,” but the poor can’t keep the ones they have. Perjury won’t go unpunished, and liars will get all that they deserve. Everyone wants to be close to the rich and famous, but a generous person has all the friends he wants! When a man is poor, even his family has no use for him. How much more will his “friends” avoid him— for though he begs for help, they won’t respond. 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.
Proverbs 19:4-17 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape. Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts. All a poor man’s brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. 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.