1 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
3 A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
6 Many curry favor with a ruler,
and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.
7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.[a]
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.
10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will reward them for what they have done.
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
22 What a person desires is unfailing love[b];
better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.
“Poverty with integrity is better than wealth gained deceitfully.”
–Faithlife Study Bible
Proverbs 19 opens with this simple truth. Quick question, do you believe it?
As men, we spend a lot of time thinking about wealth. How much, or little, do we have, how do we amass more, what amount do we need to retire, what will we leave for our children?
These are the questions that keep us awake at night, the ones that put a little more salt in our hair than pepper.
So, if allowed to solve even one of your provision-related difficulties, would you pause to reflect on the morality of what it would take? Would you seek the wisdom of God before taking a step?
Proverbs 19 is not an anti-wealth message; it’s a stern warning against compromising your integrity for the sake of gain. Look at the number of ways Solomon drives this point home:
Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!
A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,
yet their heart rages against the Lord.
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
A foolish child is a father’s ruin,
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.
Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.
What a person desires is unfailing love;
better to be poor than a liar.
Whoever robs their Father and drives out their mother
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
Stop listening to instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.
Solomon is relentless in his warning. Pursuing wealth in any form at the cost of following God’s wisdom leads to dire consequences. Deep down, we know this is true, but some of us have gone so long in the opposite direction that we have become numb to that internal alarm that triggers at the slightest compromise. No matter how far you’ve walked away from the wisdom of God, there is good news today. Reaching back to Proverbs One, we remember that our God is merciful and willing to pour His wisdom back out on you if you turn to Him, repent, and ask for His instruction.
Almighty God, how many times have I walked away from You because something caught my eye? Who could count but You? Thank You that today You have brought me a wake-up call. I want to repent for my choices to gain something that was not mine to gain and the ways by which I have ignored the wisdom of You, my Heavenly Father. Please return me to Your ways, and increase my sensitivity to anything seeking to pull me off Your path once more.
