19 Better to be poor and live with integrity
    than a fool with a foul mouth.
² Surely there’s no advantage for a person without knowledge,
    and whoever moves too quickly misses the turn.
³ Foolishness diverts the course of life,
    yet the heart rebels against the Eternal.
⁴ Wealth attracts many friends,
    but the poor are soon separated from theirs.
⁵ A false witness will not escape punishment,
    and one who breathes lies will not go free.
⁶ Many try to win the favor of a generous person,
    and everyone is a friend to someone who gives gifts.
⁷ If a poor man is hated by his relatives,
    it is even more likely his friends will avoid him too!
Anyone who is calling after them
    [is not to be found].^[a]
8 Whoever gains a wise heart loves his own soul,
    and whoever preserves understanding experiences true goodness.
⁹ A false witness will not escape punishment,
    and whoever breathes lies will not survive.
¹⁰ Something is wrong when a fool lives a pampered life,
    but it is much worse when a slave takes charge of princes.
¹¹ A person with discretion is not easily angered;
    he gains respect by overlooking an offense.
¹² A king’s rage is like the thunderous roar of a lion,
    but his favor is like a cooling mist upon the grass.
¹³ Foolish children bring misery to their fathers,
    and a wife’s bickering is a constant dripping as from a leaky roof.
¹⁴ Houses and riches may be inherited from parents,
    but a sensible wife is a gift from the Eternal.
¹⁵ Laziness lulls people into a deep sleep;
    a slacker will have nothing to eat.
¹⁶ Whoever keeps God’s commands lengthens his life,
    but a careless lifestyle ends in death.
¹⁷ Whoever cares for the poor makes a loan to the Eternal;
    such kindness will be repaid in full and with interest.
¹⁸ Discipline your children while there is still hope of influencing their future,
    so as not to play a part in their destruction.
¹⁹ A hot-tempered man will pay a penalty;
    if you bail him out, it will not be the last time; the cycle will repeat.
²⁰ Heed counsel, act on instruction,
    and you will become wise later in life.
²¹ The impulses of the human heart may run wild,
    but the Eternal’s plan will prevail.
²² Loyalty is a trait admired in others,
    and being destitute is better than being a liar.
²³ Reverence for the Eternal leads to a fulfilled life;
    those who have it will sleep well,
    for disaster will not touch them.
²⁴ Some people are so lazy—they reach for food on the plate
    but lack the will to bring it up to their mouths.
²⁵ If you beat one who mocks, the naive will see and learn a lesson;
    if you correct someone with understanding, that’s all he needs to grow a little wiser.
²⁶ Children who mistreat their father and run down their mother
    are a root of shame and disgrace.
²⁷ My child, should you stop listening to instruction,
    you will wander from the voice of knowledge.
²⁸ A worthless witness ridicules justice,
    and the mouth of the wrongdoer savors every morsel of trouble.
²⁹ Severe penalties are prepared for those who mock,
    and fools expect their backs to be flogged.