Proverbs Chapter 19
Showing all 29 verses for Proverbs Chapter 19.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. "
"It's better to be poor and honest than to be a lying fool with a twisted tongue."
Your integrity is worth more than any bank balance. Hold onto honesty even when hardship tempts you to cut corners - it's the one thing poverty can't take from you.
"Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. "
"It's not good to be eager without understanding - and rushing ahead without thinking leads you straight into trouble."
Slow down and understand before you act. Good intentions without wisdom can still cause real harm, so pair your enthusiasm with patience.
"The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretheth against the LORD. "
"A person's own foolish choices wreck their life - and then they get angry at God about it."
Take responsibility for your own choices before you point fingers elsewhere. Real growth starts with honest ownership of what's actually yours.
"Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. "
"Money attracts a crowd of friends, but poverty leaves a person isolated, even from their own neighbours."
Don't measure your worth by how many people gather around your money or success. Seek out friends who'd stay with you even if you had nothing to give them.
"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. "
"Someone who lies under oath won't go unpunished, and a liar won't get away with it."
Tell the truth, even when it costs you something. Lies might work in the short term, but they always unravel eventually.
"Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. "
"Lots of people will try to win favour with someone powerful, and everyone wants to be friends with a generous giver."
Give without expecting flattery in return, and be wary of those who only show up when you're useful to them - true friendship isn't transactional.
"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. "
"Even a poor person's own family can turn away from them - so of course their friends do too. They chase after people with pleading words, but no one's there for them."
I stayed close to the poor and the outcast when everyone else walked away. Be someone who doesn't abandon people just because they have nothing left to offer you.
"He that getheth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. "
"Gaining wisdom is a way of loving yourself well, and holding onto understanding leads you to good things."
Taking care of your mind and growing in understanding is a way of loving yourself the way I love you. Don't neglect that part of your life.
"A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. "
"A lying witness won't go unpunished, and a liar will ultimately be ruined by it."
I am the truth. When you commit to honesty even under pressure, you're walking in step with what's real and lasting, rather than something that eventually collapses.
"Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. "
"It doesn't sit right for a fool to live in luxury - and it's even more out of place for a servant to end up ruling over princes."
I lift up the humble, but I care that whoever leads does so with wisdom and humility, not just ambition or a lucky break. Growth into responsibility matters.
"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. "
"A sensible person holds back their anger, and it's actually a mark of honour to let an offence go."
Forgiving someone who's wronged you isn't weakness, it's one of the strongest, most freeing things you can do. Let it go, and you'll find yourself lighter for it.
"The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. "
"An angry ruler is as terrifying as a roaring lion, but a ruler's approval is as refreshing as morning dew on the grass."
Use whatever authority or influence you have to refresh people, not to intimidate them. Be dew, not a lion's roar.
"A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. "
"A foolish child is a disaster for their father, and a constantly quarrelling spouse is like an endless, wearing drip of water."
Be mindful of the daily toll your words and choices have on the people who live closest to you. Small repeated harshness wears people down more than one big blow ever could.
"House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD. "
"A house and money can be inherited from your parents, but a wise, sensible life partner is a gift straight from God."
Be grateful for the people in your life who help you become wiser and better. That kind of gift is rarer and more precious than any inheritance money could buy.
"Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall hunger. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"Laziness drags a person into a deep, heavy sleep, and an idle life ends in hunger."
Don't let comfort lull you into inaction. There's dignity and provision in effort - wake up and engage fully with your life.
"He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. "
"Whoever follows good guidance protects their own life, but whoever is careless about how they live is heading for ruin."
The guidance I give isn't there to control you, it's there to protect you. Take it seriously - it exists for your good, not to limit your freedom.
"He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. "
"Being kind to the poor is like lending money to God himself - and he will pay you back for it."
Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me. Give generously to those in need - it never goes unnoticed, and it never goes unrewarded.
"Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. "
"Discipline your child while there's still time to shape them - don't let their crying stop you from correcting them."
Loving someone sometimes means having the courage to correct them, even when it's hard to hear their upset. Real love isn't afraid of the discomfort that honest guidance can bring.
"A man of great wrath shall punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"A person with a fierce temper will keep paying the price for it - even if you bail them out once, you'll only have to do it again."
I want you free from anger's cycle, not just rescued from its latest mess. Real help means encouraging real change, not just cleaning up after the same mistake again and again.
"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. "
"Listen to advice and accept correction now, so that later in life you'll be wise."
Stay teachable throughout your whole life. The wisdom you accept today is what carries you well into tomorrow.
"There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. "
"People make all kinds of plans in their hearts, but it's what God has purposed that will actually stand."
Plan wisely, but don't grip your plans so tightly that you can't trust a bigger story is unfolding. Peace comes from holding your future with open hands, not clenched fists.
"The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. "
"What people really want from you is your kindness - and it's better to be a poor honest person than a liar."
Be known for your kindness rather than your possessions. That's what actually draws people to you, and it honours who I made you to be.
"The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. "
"A deep respect for God leads to a fuller life - whoever has it lives content and untouched by real harm."
When your life is anchored in something greater than yourself, you find a peace that circumstances can't easily shake. That's the contentment I want for you.
"A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. "
"A lazy person is so lazy that they'll dip their hand into the dish but can't even be bothered to lift it back up to their mouth."
Don't let comfort or fear talk you out of even the smallest necessary effort. Small, consistent actions are how a life actually gets built.
"Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. "
"Punish a mocker, and even a naive onlooker learns to be careful; correct someone who already has understanding, and they'll grow even wiser from it."
Meet people where they are. Some need firm consequences to wake up, others just need honest, respectful correction - know the difference, and offer each person what actually helps them grow.
"He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. "
"A child who takes advantage of their father and drives away their mother brings shame and disgrace on themselves."
Honour those who raised you, even imperfectly. Caring for your parents as they age is one of the clearest ways to live out love in everyday action.
"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. "
"My child, stop listening to advice that will only lead you away from real knowledge."
Be careful whose voice you let form you. Surround yourself with people and teaching that lead you towards truth and love, not away from it.
"An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. "
"A corrupt witness has no respect for justice, and wicked people feed on wrongdoing like it's food."
Don't let dishonesty become something you're comfortable with. Guard your integrity in small things like testimony and truth-telling, because it shapes what you become over time.
"Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools. "
"Punishment is already lined up for mockers, and beatings for fools."
I'd rather you turn from mockery and foolishness before the consequences catch up with you. It's never too late to choose humility instead.