Veritable King James Version
1One who isolates themselves seeks their own desire; they rage against all sound judgment.
2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in airing their own thoughts.
3When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a flowing stream.
5It is not good to show favor to the wicked or to deny justice to the righteous.
6A fool’s lips bring strife, and their mouth invites a beating.
7A fool’s mouth is their ruin; their lips ensnare their soul.
8The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they sink into one’s inmost being.
9One who is slack in their work is a sibling to one who destroys.
10The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
11The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; in their mind, it is a high wall.
12Before destruction, a person’s heart is proud; but humility comes before honor.
13To answer before listening is folly and shame.
14A person’s spirit can endure sickness, but a crushed spirit—who can bear it?
15The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ear of the wise seeks it.
16A gift opens the way; it brings one before the great.
17The first to plead their case seems right, until another comes and examines them.
18Casting lots settles disputes and keeps strong opponents apart.
19A brother offended is harder to win than a fortified city; their quarrels are like bars of a fortress.
20From the fruit of one’s mouth their stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.
22One who finds a wife finds good and obtains favor from the Lord.
23The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
24Some friends may lead to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 19 The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 19 – VKJV
Translation notes
In verse 1, Hebrew nifrad (“isolates”) implies deliberate withdrawal, translated inclusively as “themselves” to reflect universal application. Baqa (“rage”) denotes strong opposition to wisdom, with theological implications of rejecting divine counsel (cf. Proverbs 1:7). Verse 2’s kesil (“fool”) indicates one who lacks discernment; “airing their own thoughts” renders hitgalot libbo (lit. “revealing their heart”), emphasizing self-centeredness. Verse 3’s bo rasha (“wickedness comes”) links sin to social consequences; buz (“contempt”) and cherpah (“disgrace”) reflect moral failure’s outcomes (cf. Proverbs 6:33). Verse 4’s “deep waters” (mayim amuqqim) metaphorically suggests profound speech, contrasted with wisdom’s “flowing stream” (ma’yan nobe’a), a life-giving source; cross-reference Proverbs 10:11. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants (e.g., 4Q102) alter this section, affirming Masoretic Text reliability.
Verse 5’s naso panim (lit. “lift the face”) is translated as “show favor” to denote partiality, condemned as unjust; cross-reference Deuteronomy 16:19. “Righteous” (tzaddiq) contrasts with “wicked” (rasha), reinforcing covenantal ethics. In verse 6, sifte kesil (“fool’s lips”) personifies destructive speech, with mahalumot (“beating”) as a consequence of folly. Verse 7’s “ensnare their soul” (moqesh nafsho) uses nefesh to denote life or self, highlighting self-inflicted harm; cross-reference Proverbs 12:13. Verse 8’s “choice morsels” (mitlahamim) implies gossip’s deceptive allure, with “inmost being” (chadre beten, lit. “chambers of the belly”) denoting deep emotional impact; theologically, this warns against destructive speech (cf. Proverbs 26:22). No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 9’s mitrappeh (“slack”) denotes laziness, equated with ba’al mashchit (“one who destroys”) to emphasize negligence’s harm; cross-reference Proverbs 10:4. In verse 10, “name of the Lord” (shem YHWH) reflects divine character, a refuge for the “righteous” (tzaddiq); “strong tower” (migdal oz) symbolizes protection (cf. Psalm 61:3). Verse 11 contrasts with verse 10, with “fortified city” (qiryat uzzo) and “high wall” (chomah nisgabah) as false security in wealth; theologically, this critiques misplaced trust (cf. Psalm 62:10). Verse 12’s gabah leb (“heart is proud”) links pride to ruin, while “humility” (anawah) precedes honor, reflecting divine reversal (cf. Proverbs 15:33). No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 13’s shama (“listening”) emphasizes attentive hearing before responding; “folly and shame” (iwwelet v’kelimmah) denote social and moral failure. Verse 14’s ruach (“spirit”) refers to inner strength, contrasted with “crushed spirit” (ruach neke’ah), highlighting emotional resilience’s limits; cross-reference Proverbs 17:22. In verse 15, leb navon (“heart of the discerning”) and ozen chachamim (“ear of the wise”) use parallelism to stress active pursuit of knowledge; theologically, this reflects wisdom’s value (cf. Proverbs 2:2). Verse 16’s mattan (“gift”) may imply a bribe or favor, with “opens the way” (yiphtach derek) suggesting access to influence; this is descriptive, not prescriptive (cf. Proverbs 17:8). No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 17’s rishon b’ribo (“first to plead”) highlights the need for scrutiny (chaqar, “examines”); cross-reference Proverbs 18:13 for listening’s importance. Verse 18’s goral (“lots”) reflects an ancient practice for impartial resolution (cf. Proverbs 16:33). Verse 19’s “fortified city” (ir oz) and “bars of a fortress” (beriche armon) emphasize relational breaches’ severity; “brother” (ach) may include close kin or friends, translated inclusively. Verse 20’s “fruit of one’s mouth” (peri peh) and “harvest of their lips” (tebu’at sefatayim) use agricultural metaphors for speech’s consequences; theologically, this underscores speech’s power (cf. Proverbs 12:14). No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 21’s lashon (“tongue”) personifies speech’s life-or-death impact; “eat its fruit” (yo’kal piryah) echoes verse 20, emphasizing consequences (cf. James 3:6). Verse 22’s ishah (“wife”) retains gender-specificity per Hebrew, with “favor from the Lord” (ratzon me’et YHWH) reflecting divine blessing; cross-reference Proverbs 19:14. Verse 23 contrasts dal (“poor”) and ashir (“rich”), highlighting social dynamics; “harshly” (azzut) suggests arrogance. Verse 24’s re’im (“friends”) contrasts with rea (“friend”), with “sticks closer” (dabeq) implying loyalty; “brother” (ach) retains familial imagery but applies broadly (cf. Proverbs 17:17). Theologically, this reflects covenantal fidelity’s ideal. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
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