Proverbs 19
It’s better to be poor and live right than to be a stupid liar. Willingness and stupidity don’t go well together. If you are too eager, you will miss the road. We are ruined by our own stupidity, though we blame the LORD.
The rich have many friends; the poor have none. Dishonest witnesses and liars won’t escape punishment. Everyone tries to be friends of those who can help them. If you are poor, your own relatives reject you, and your friends are worse. When you really need them, they are not there.
Do yourself a favor by having good sense–you will be glad you did. Dishonest witnesses and liars will be destroyed. It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury or for a slave to rule in place of a king. It’s wise to be patient and show what you are like by forgiving others. An angry king roars like a lion, but when a king is pleased, it’s like dew on the crops.
A foolish son brings disgrace to his father. A nagging wife goes on and on like the drip, drip, drip of the rain. You may inherit all you own from your parents, but a sensible wife is a gift from the LORD. If you are lazy and sleep your time away, you will starve.
Obey the Lord’s teachings and you will live– disobey and you will die. Caring for the poor is lending to the LORD, and you will be well repaid. Correct your children before it’s too late; if you don’t punish them, you are destroying them. People with bad tempers are always in trouble, and they need help over and over again. Pay attention to advice and accept correction, so you can live sensibly.
We may make a lot of plans, but the LORD will do what he has decided. What matters most is loyalty. It’s better to be poor than to be a liar. Showing respect to the LORD brings true life– if you do it, you can relax without fear of danger.
Some people are too lazy to lift a hand to feed themselves. Stupid fools learn good sense by seeing others punished; a sensible person learns by being corrected. Children who bring disgrace rob their father and chase their mother away. If you stop learning, you will forget what you already know. A lying witness makes fun of the court system, and criminals think crime is really delicious. Every stupid fool is just waiting to be punished.
Read The Bible In
One Year: Hag. 1&2
Plus Daily Chapter: Mark 14
