Proverbs 19
1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.
2 Also, it is not good to have desire without knowledge and the one who runs too fast misses the path.
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 A person's folly ruins his life and his heart rages against Yahweh.
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 Wealth adds many friends, but a poor person is separated from his friends.
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 not go unpunished and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.
6 Many will ask for a favor from a generous person and everyone is a friend of the one who gives gifts.
Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.
7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him; how much more do his friends who go far away from him! He calls out to them, but they are gone.
[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 He who gets wisdom loves his own life; he who keeps understanding will find what is good.
Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, but the one who breathes out lies will perish.
Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— much less for a slave to rule over princes.
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 Discretion makes a person slow to anger and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].
12 The wrath of the king is like the roaring of a young lion, but his favor is like 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 foolish son is ruin to his father and a quarreling wife is a constant dripping of water.
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 A house and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.
15 Laziness throws a person into a deep sleep, but the one not willing to work will go 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 The one who obeys the command guards his life, but the person who does not think about his ways will 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 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh and he will repay him for what he has 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 is hope and do not set your desire on putting him to death.
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 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it a second time.
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 you may become wise by the end of your life.
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 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the purpose of Yahweh that will stand.
People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.
22 Loyalty is what a person desires and a poor person is better 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 Honor for Yahweh leads people to life; anyone who has it will be satisfied and not afflicted by 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 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back up to his mouth.
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 Strike a mocker, and the naive person will become prudent; discipline one who is discerning, and he will gain knowledge.
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 The one who robs his father and chases his mother away is a son who brings shame and reproach.
Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.
27 If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.
28 A corrupt witness mocks justice and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity.
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 Condemnation is ready for mockers and flogging for the backs of fools.
[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.
