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Proverbs chapter 19 in Hebrew and English

29 verses, about 3 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

טוֹב־רָשׁ הוֹלֵךְ בְּתֻמּוֹ מֵעִקֵּשׁ שְׂפָתָיו וְהוּא כְסִֽיל׃

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and a fool at the same time.

גַּם בְּלֹא־דַעַת נֶפֶשׁ לֹא־טוֹב וְאָץ בְּרַגְלַיִם חוֹטֵֽא׃

Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

אִוֶּלֶת אָדָם תְּסַלֵּף דַּרְכּוֹ וְעַל־יְהוָה יִזְעַף לִבּֽוֹ׃

The foolishness of man perverteth his way; And his heart fretteth against the LORD.

הוֹן יֹסִיף רֵעִים רַבִּים וְדָל מֵרֵעהוּ יִפָּרֵֽד׃

Wealth addeth many friends; But as for the poor, his friend separateth himself from him.

עֵד שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִנָּקֶה וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים לֹא יִמָּלֵֽט׃

A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that breatheth forth lies shall not escape.

רַבִּים יְחַלּוּ פְנֵי־נָדִיב וְכָל־הָרֵעַ לְאִישׁ מַתָּֽן׃

Many will entreat the favour of the liberal man; And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

כָּל אֲחֵי־רָשׁ שְׂנֵאֻהוּ אַף כִּי מְרֵעֵהוּ רָחֲקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מְרַדֵּף אֲמָרִים לוֹ־הֵֽמָּה׃

All the brethren of the poor do hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He that pursueth words, they turn against him.

קֹנֶה־לֵּב אֹהֵב נַפְשׁוֹ שֹׁמֵר תְּבוּנָה לִמְצֹא־טֽוֹב׃

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; He that keepeth understanding shall find good.

עֵד שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִנָּקֶה וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים יֹאבֵֽד׃

A false witness shall not be unpunished; And he that breatheth forth lies shall perish.

לֹא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל תַּעֲנוּג אַף כִּי־לְעֶבֶד מְשֹׁל בְּשָׂרִֽים׃

Luxury is not seemly for a fool; Much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

שֵׂכֶל אָדָם הֶאֱרִיךְ אַפּוֹ וְתִפאַרְתּוֹ עֲבֹר עַל־פָּֽשַׁע׃

It is the discretion of a man to be slow to anger, And it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר זַעַף מֶלֶךְ וּכְטַל עַל־עֵשֶׂב רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃

The king’s wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favour is as dew upon the grass.

הַוֺּת לְאָבִיו בֵּן כְּסִיל וְדֶלֶף טֹרֵד מִדְיְנֵי אִשָּֽׁה׃

A foolish son is the calamity of his father; And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת וּמֵיְהוָה אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּֽלֶת׃

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers; But a prudent wife is from the LORD.

עַצְלָה תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָֽב׃

Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And the idle soul shall suffer hunger.

שֹׁמֵר מִצְוָה שֹׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹזֵה דְרָכָיו יָמֽוּת׃

He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul; But he that despiseth His ways shall die.

מַלְוֵה יְהוָה חוֹנֵן דָּל וּגְמֻלוֹ יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃

He that is gracious unto the poor lendeth unto the LORD; And his good deed will He repay unto him.

יַסֵּר בִּנְךָ כִּי־יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה וְאֶל־הֲמִיתוֹ אַל־תִּשָּׂא נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Chasten thy son, for there is hope; But set not thy heart on his destruction. .

גְּדָל־חֵמָה נֹשֵׂא עֹנֶשׁ כִּי אִם־תַּצִּיל וְעוֹד תּוֹסִֽף׃

A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment; For if thou interpose, thou wilt add thereto.

שְׁמַע עֵצָה וְקַבֵּל מוּסָר לְמַעַן תֶּחְכַּם בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ׃

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב־אִישׁ וַעֲצַת יְהוָה הִיא תָקֽוּם׃

There are many devices in a man’s heart; But the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

תַּאֲוַת אָדָם חַסְדּוֹ וְטוֹב־רָשׁ מֵאִישׁ כָּזָֽב׃

The lust of a man is his shame; And a poor man is better than a liar.

יִרְאַת יְהוָה לְחַיִּים וְשָׂבֵעַ יָלִין בַּל־יִפָּקֶד רָֽע׃

The fear of the LORD tendeth to life; And he that hath it shall abide satisfied, He shall not be visited with evil.

טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת גַּם־אֶל־פִּיהוּ לֹא יְשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃

The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it back to his mouth.

לֵץ תַּכֶּה וּפֶתִי יַעְרִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְנָבוֹן יָבִין דָּֽעַת׃

When thou smitest a scorner, the simple will become prudent; And when one that hath understanding is reproved, he will understand knowledge.

מְשַׁדֶּד־אָב יַבְרִיחַ אֵם בֵּן מֵבִישׁ וּמַחְפִּֽיר׃

A son that dealeth shamefully and reproachfully Will despoil his father, and chase away his mother.

חַדַל־בְּנִי לִשְׁמֹעַ מוּסָר לִשְׁגוֹת מֵֽאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction That causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

עֵד בְּלִיַּעַל יָלִיץ מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי רְשָׁעִים יְבַלַּע־אָֽוֶן׃

An ungodly witness mocketh at right; And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

נָכוֹנוּ לַלֵּצִים שְׁפָטִים וּמַהֲלֻמוֹת לְגֵו כְסִילִֽים׃

Judgments are prepared for scorners, And stripes for the back of fools.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 19 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 29 verses, 230 words, about 3 minutes to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 19 have?

Proverbs chapter 19 has 29 verses and 230 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 19 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words טוב־רש הולך בתמו מעקש.

Where does Proverbs chapter 19 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 19 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 19?

About 3 minutes, at a steady pace.