Proverbs — Chapter 19
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
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.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Leviticus 19:18
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277
“All conditioned things are impermanent. When one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering.”
Tao Te Ching 76
“A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff. The soft and yielding is the disciple of life.”
Bhagavad Gita 2:22
“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.”
Quran 55:26-27
“Everyone upon the earth will perish, and there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.”
The Path to Wisdom
Proverbs 4:7
“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Dhammapada 20:282
“Wisdom springs from meditation; without meditation wisdom wanes.”
Analects 2:11
“If you study the past and use it to understand the present, you are worthy of being a teacher.”
Tao Te Ching 33
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Genesis 1:3
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”