Proverbs 19
1 Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.
Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
2 It's not good to be someone who doesn't think. If you rush, things go wrong.
Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].
3 People mess up their lives by their own stupidity, and then get angry with the Lord.
Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.
4 If you're rich, you get a lot of friends, but if you're poor, you lose any friends you had.
Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.
5 A false witness will be punished; liars won't get away with their lies.
Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
6 Many ask favors from important people, and everyone's a friend of the generous.
Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
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.
[Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].
8 If you become wise, you have good self-esteem; if you learn good sense you'll be successful.
Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
9 A false witness will be punished; people who tell lies will perish.
Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
10 It's not right for stupid people to live in luxury, and it's even worse for a slave to rule over leaders.
It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.
11 If you have good sense you'll be slow to get angry; you gain respect by forgiving wrongs.
Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
12 When a king gets angry, he sounds like a roaring lion; but his kindness is as soft as dew on the grass.
When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].
13 A stupid son makes his father miserable, and an argumentative wife is like dripping that never stops.
Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].
14 You inherit a house and wealth from your father, but a sensible wife is a gift from the Lord.
We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
15 Lazy people are often fast asleep, but idleness means they're hungry.
Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].
16 Keep the commandments, and you'll live; despise them and you'll die.
Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].
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.
When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).
18 Discipline your son while there's still hope, but don't kill him.
Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].
19 People who often get angry have to pay the penalty; if you help them, you'll have to do it again.
Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction so that you'll eventually become wise.
Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.
21 Human beings make many plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
22 The most desirable thing in anyone is trustworthy love; it is better to be poor than a liar.
People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].
23 Honoring the Lord is life, and you will rest contentedly, safe from harm.
[Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].
24 Lazy people put their hands in a dish, and won't even lift the food to their mouths.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up 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.
If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.
26 A son who abuses his father and chases away his mother brings shame and disgrace.
Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
27 My son, stop listening to my instruction and you'll soon give up following wisdom.
My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
28 A crooked witness makes a mockery of justice; and the wicked wolf down evil.
Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].
29 Punishment is ready for those who mock; flogging is ready for the backs of the stupid.
[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
