The Reading
Proverbs 19
Better a poor person walking in integrity
than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
Also, a life without knowledge is not good,
and he who moves quickly with his feet misses the mark.
As for the folly of humankind, its way leads to ruin,
and against Yahweh his heart will rage.
Wealth adds many friends,
but the poor will be left by his friends.
A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes lies will not escape.
Many will seek favor before the generous,
and everyone is the friend of a man of gifts.
All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him,
how much more will his friends keep away from him.
He pursues them with words, and they are gone.
He who acquires wisdom loves himself;
he who guards understanding loves to find good.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes lies will perish.
For a fool living in luxury is not fitting,
any more than it is for a slave to rule over princes.
The understanding of a person makes him slow to his anger,
and his glory overlooks offense.
The rage of a king growls like a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
A foolish child is a ruin to his father,
and the quarreling of a woman is a continuous dripping.
A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
but from Yahweh comes a woman who is prudent.
Laziness will bring on a deep sleep,
and a person of idleness will suffer hunger.
He who guards commandments guards his life;
he who is careless of his ways will be killed.
He who lends to Yahweh is he who is kind to the poor,
and his benefits he will repay to him.
Discipline your child, for there is hope,
but on his destruction do not set your desire.
A hot-tempered person pays a penalty;
if you rescue him, you will do it yet again.
Listen to advice and accept instruction
so that you will gain wisdom for your future.
Many plans are in the heart of a man,
but the purpose of Yahweh will be established.
The craving of a man is his steadfast loyalty,
and it is better to be poor than a liar.
Fear of Yahweh leads to life;
he who is filled with it will rest—he will not suffer harm.
A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.
The scoffer you shall strike, and the simple, may they learn prudence,
and reprove the intelligent and he will gain knowledge.
He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother,
is a child who causes shame and brings reproach.
Cease to listen to instruction, my child,
and you will stray from sayings of knowledge.
A worthless witness will mock justice,
and the mouth of the wicked will devour iniquity.
Judgments are prepared for the scoffers,
and flogging for the back of fools.
Proverbs 20
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and any who go astray by it are not wise.
Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;
he who provokes him forfeits his life.
It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,
but every fool will be quick to quarrel.
The lazy person will not plow in season;
he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.
Deep waters are like purpose in the heart of a man,
and a man of understanding will draw it out.
Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,
but a man who is trustworthy, who can find?
He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
happy are his children who follow him.
A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
Who will say "I have made my heart clean;
I am pure from my sin"?
Stone and stone, measure and measure,
both of them are an abomination of Yahweh.
Even by his acts, a young man will make himself known,
whether his acts are pure and upright.
The ear that hears and the eye that sees,
Yahweh has made them both.
Do not love sleep, lest you become poor;
open your eyes and have plenty bread.
"Bad, bad," the buyer will say,
but when one goes to him, then he will boast.