Proverbs 19:11-29 - Compare All Versions
Proverbs 19:11-29 NIV (New International Version)
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is a father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like the constant dripping of a leaky roof. Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless go hungry. Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble. A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth! Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge. 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. Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 ESV (English Standard Version 2025)
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is ruin to his father, and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain. House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed. Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. A man of great wrath will pay the penalty, for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach. Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge. A worthless witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 NLT (New Living Translation)
Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping. Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the LORD can give an understanding wife. Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD— and he will repay you! Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again. Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm. Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth. If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser. Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are an embarrassment and a public disgrace. If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge. A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice; the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil. Punishment is made for mockers, and the backs of fools are made to be beaten.
Proverbs 19:11-29 CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
A person’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense. A king’s rage is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping. A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness induces deep sleep, and a lazy person will go hungry. The one who keeps commands preserves himself; one who disregards his ways will die. Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and he will give a reward to the lender. , Discipline your son while there is hope; don’t set your heart on being the cause of his death. , A person with intense anger bears the penalty; if you rescue him, you’ll have to do it again. Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life. , Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the LORD’s decree will prevail. What is desirable in a person is his fidelity; better to be a poor person than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger. The slacker buries his hand in the bowl; he doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth! Strike a mocker, and the inexperienced learn a lesson; rebuke the discerning, and he gains knowledge. The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother is a disgraceful and shameful son. If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. A worthless witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity. Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 KJV (King James Version)
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; And it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; But his favour is as dew upon the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father: And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: And a prudent wife is from the LORD. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; And an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; But he that despiseth his ways shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; And that which he hath given will he pay him again. Chasten thy son while there is hope, And let not thy soul spare for his crying. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: For if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man's heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. The desire of a man is his kindness: And a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: And he that hath it shall abide satisfied; He shall not be visited with evil. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: And reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, Is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction That causeth to err from the words of knowledge. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scorners, And stripes for the back of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 NKJV (New King James Version)
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger. He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die. He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given. Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. A man of great wrath will suffer punishment; For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand. What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge. He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. A disreputable witness scorns justice, And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 MSG (The Message)
Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget. Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew. A parent is worn to a frazzle by an irresponsible child; a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet. House and land are handed down from parents, but a congenial spouse comes straight from GOD. Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry. Keep the rules and keep your life; careless living kills. Mercy to the needy is a loan to GOD, and GOD pays back those loans in full. Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger; if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse. Take good counsel and accept correction— that’s the way to live wisely and well. We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but GOD’s purpose prevails. It’s only human to want to make a buck, but it’s better to be poor than a liar. Fear-of-GOD is life itself, a full life, and serene—no nasty surprises. Some people dig a fork into the pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth. Punish the insolent—make an example of them. Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson. Kids who lash out against their parents are an embarrassment and disgrace. If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own, you’ll soon be out of your depth. An unprincipled witness desecrates justice; the mouths of the wicked spew malice. The irreverent have to learn reverence the hard way; only a slap in the face brings fools to attention.
Proverbs 19:11-29 NASB2020 (New American Standard Bible - NASB)
A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook an offense. A king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish son is destruction to his father, And the quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping. House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And a lazy person will suffer hunger. One who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But one who is careless of conduct will die. One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. Discipline your son while there is hope, And do not desire his death. A person of great anger will suffer the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again. Listen to advice and accept discipline, So that you may be wise the rest of your days. Many plans are in a person’s heart, But the advice of the LORD will stand. What is desirable in a person is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor person than a liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. The lazy one buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth. Strike a scoffer and the naive may become clever, But rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge. He who assaults his father and drives his mother away Is a shameful and disgraceful son. Stop listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge. A worthless witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked swallows wrongdoing. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of fools.
Proverbs 19:11-29 AMP (Amplified Bible)
Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment]. The king’s wrath terrifies like the roaring of a lion, But his favor is as [refreshing and nourishing as] dew on the grass. [Hos 14:5] A foolish (ungodly) son is destruction to his father, And the contentions of a [quarrelsome] wife are like a constant dripping [of water]. House and wealth are the inheritance from fathers, But a wise, understanding, and sensible wife is [a gift and blessing] from the LORD. [Prov 18:22] Laziness casts one into a deep sleep [unmindful of lost opportunity], And the idle person will suffer hunger. He who keeps and obeys the commandment [of the LORD] keeps (guards) his own life, But he who is careless of his ways and conduct will die. [Prov 13:13; 16:17; Luke 10:28; 11:28] He who is gracious and lends a hand to the poor lends to the LORD, And the LORD will repay him for his good deed. [Prov 28:27; Eccl 11:1; Matt 10:42; 25:40; 2 Cor 9:6-8; Heb 6:10] Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction. A man of great anger will bear the penalty [for his quick temper and lack of self-control]; For if you rescue him [and do not let him learn from the consequences of his action], you will only have to rescue him over and over again. Listen to counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, That you may be wise in the time to come. Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the LORD’S purpose for him that will stand (be carried out). [Job 23:13; Ps 33:10, 11; Is 14:26, 27; 46:10; Acts 5:39; Heb 6:17] That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love, But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar. The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. [Job 5:19; Ps 91:3; Prov 12:13; Is 46:4; Jer 1:8; Dan 6:27; 2 Tim 4:18] The lazy man buries his hand in the [food] dish, But will not even bring it to his mouth again. Strike a scoffer [for refusing to learn], and the naive may [be warned and] become prudent; Reprimand one who has understanding and a teachable spirit, and he will gain knowledge and insight. He who assaults his father and chases away his mother Is a son who brings shame and disgrace. [1 Tim 5:8] Cease listening, my son, to instruction and discipline And you will stray from the words of knowledge. A wicked and worthless witness mocks justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And beatings for the backs of [thickheaded] fools. [Is 32:6]
Proverbs 19:11-29 NET (New English Translation)
A person’s wisdom makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. A king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. A foolish child is the ruin of his father, and a contentious wife is like a constant dripping. A house and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. Laziness brings on a deep sleep, and the idle person will go hungry. The one who obeys commandments guards his life; the one who despises his ways will die. The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed. Discipline your child, for there is hope, but do not set your heart on causing his death. A person with great anger bears the penalty, but if you deliver him from it once, you will have to do it again. Listen to advice and receive discipline, that you may become wise by the end of your life. There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the LORD which will stand. What is desirable for a person is to show loyal love, and a poor person is better than a liar. Fearing the LORD leads to life, and one who does so will live satisfied; he will not be afflicted by calamity. The sluggard plunges his hand in the dish, and he will not even bring it back to his mouth! Flog a scorner, and as a result the simpleton will learn prudence; correct a discerning person, and as a result he will understand knowledge. The one who robs his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will stray from the words of knowledge. A crooked witness scorns justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scorners, and floggings for the backs of fools.