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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Proverbs 19:1

It is better to be poor and honest than to be foolish and tell lies.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Integrity;   Poor;   Speaking;   Thompson Chain Reference - Business Life;   Honesty;   Integrity;   Virtues;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Perversion;   Poverty;   Speech/communication;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Poor, the;   Uprightness;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Fool;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Poor and Poverty, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Perverse;   Proverbs, Book of;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Fool;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;   Integrity;   Poor;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Better is ye poore that walketh in his vprightnes, then he that abuseth his lips, & is a foole.
Christian Standard Bible®
Better a poor person who lives with integrity
Hebrew Names Version
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Easy-to-Read Version
It is better to be poor and honest than to be a liar and a fool.
Amplified Bible
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.
American Standard Version
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Contemporary English Version
It's better to be poor and live right than to be a stupid liar.
Complete Jewish Bible
Better to be poor and live one's life uprightly than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and a fool at the same time.
King James Version (1611)
Better is the poore that walketh in his integrity, then he that is peruerse in his lippes, and is a foole.
English Revised Version
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Berean Standard Bible
Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.
Lexham English Bible
Better a poor person walking in integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
Literal Translation
The poor who walks in his integrity is better than he who is perverse in his lips, who is a fool.
New English Translation
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.
New King James Version
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
New Living Translation
Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.
New Life Bible
A poor man who walks with honor is better than a fool who is sinful in his speaking.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better is a poor man, walking in his integrity, than one of perverse lips, and, he, a dullard.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Better is the poor man, that walketh in his simplicity, than a rich man that is perverse in his lips and unwise.
George Lamsa Translation
BETTER is the poor man who walks in his integrity than the rich man who is perverse in his ways.
Good News Translation
It is better to be poor but honest than to be a lying fool.
New American Standard Bible
Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity Than a person who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
King James Version
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Better is the poore that liueth godly, then he that abuseth his lippes, and is a foole.
New Revised Standard
Better the poor walking in integrity than one perverse of speech who is a fool.
Darby Translation
Better is a poor [man] that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Betere is a pore man, that goith in his simplenesse, than a riche man bitynge hise lippis, and vnwijs.
Young's Literal Translation
Better [is] the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse [in] his lips, who [is] a fool.
World English Bible
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Revised Standard Version
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a man who is perverse in speech, and is a fool.
Update Bible Version
Better is the poor that walks in his integrity Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
Webster's Bible Translation
Better [is] the poor that walketh in his integrity, than [he that is] perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Bible in Basic English
Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Better is the poore that lyueth godly, the the blasphemer that is but a foole.
THE MESSAGE
Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
Legacy Standard Bible
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrityThan he who is crooked in lips and is a fool.

Contextual Overview

1 It is better to be poor and honest than to be foolish and tell lies.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Better: Proverbs 19:22, Proverbs 12:26, Proverbs 15:16, Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 28:6, Psalms 37:26, Matthew 16:26, James 2:5, James 2:6

perverse: 1 Samuel 25:17, 1 Samuel 25:25, Isaiah 59:3, Matthew 12:31-34

Reciprocal: Psalms 7:8 - to mine Psalms 119:141 - small Proverbs 20:7 - just Proverbs 28:11 - the poor Ecclesiastes 4:13 - is a poor Ecclesiastes 6:8 - the poor Luke 6:20 - Blessed Acts 20:30 - speaking James 1:9 - the brother James 1:26 - bridleth

Cross-References

Genesis 18:22
So the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood there before the Lord .
Genesis 19:1
The two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting near the city gate. When he saw them, he got up and went to them and bowed facedown on the ground.
Genesis 19:5
They called to Lot, "Where are the two men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sexual relations with them."
Job 31:32
No stranger ever had to spend the night in the street, because I always let travelers stay in my home.
Hebrews 13:2
Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Better [is] the poor that walketh in his integrity,.... In the uprightness of his heart before God and men; who is sincere in the worship of God, and in the profession of his name, and walks in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless; and is upright, harmless, and inoffensive in his conversation with men; and studies to exercise a conscience void of offence to both, and continues herein. A man may be a poor man with respect to worldly things, and yet be rich towards God; may be a truly gracious good man, honest, sincere, and upright in heart and life: and such an one is better

than [he that] is perverse in his lips, and is a fool; that is, than a rich man, as the Syriac and Vulgate Latin versions supply it, and as the antithesis requires; "that is perverse in his lips", or "whose ways are perverse", as the Syriac version; that acts the deceitful part both by words and actions towards those that are about him, not being honest and plain hearted as the poor man is; and who uses those beneath him very roughly; and concerning oppression speaks loftily, and lets his tongue run both against God in heaven and man on earth, by which he shows he is a fool: for his riches do not give him wisdom; and his words and actions declare he wants it; men may be poor, and yet wise; and a matt may be rich, and yet a fool: or is confident d; that is, trusts in his riches, and is opposed to a poor man, so R. Saadiah Gaon. This verse and Proverbs 19:2 are not in the Septuagint and Arabic versions.

d כסיל "confidens divitiis", Cocceii Lexic. col. 384.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “perverse” man is the rich fool, as contrasted with the poor man who is upright.

Proverbs 19:1-2 are missing in the Septuagint.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XIX

The worth of a poor upright man. Riches preserve friends. False

witnesses. False friends. A king's wrath. The foolish son. The

prudent wife. Slothfulness. Pity for the poor. The fear of the

Lord. The spendthrift son. Obedience to parents.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIX

Verse Proverbs 19:1. Better is the poor — The upright poor man is always to be preferred to the rich or self-sufficient fool.


 
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