PROV 19:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Better is one who is poor who walks in his integrity
⇔ than one who is crooked in his lips and he is a stupid one.

UST It is better to be poor and behave honestly
⇔ than to speak deceitfully and be foolish.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
⇔ than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
⇔ than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.

LSV Better [is] the poor walking in his integrity,
Than the perverse [in] his lips—who [is] a fool.

FBV Better to be poor but honest than stupid and tell lies.

T4T Conducting our lives as we should even though we are poor
⇔ is better than being foolish and telling lies.

LEB No LEB PROV 19:1 verse available

BBE Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

Moff Better a poor man of honest life
⇔ than a false man, for all his wealth.

JPS Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and a fool at the same time.

ASV Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity
⇔ Than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

DRA Better is the poor man, that walketh in his simplicity, than a rich man that is perverse in his lips, and unwise.

YLT Better [is] the poor walking in his integrity, Than the perverse [in] his lips, who [is] a fool.

Drby Better is a poor [man] that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

RV Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that perverse in his lips and is a fool.

SLT Good the poor one going in his integrity above the perverse of lips, and he foolish.

Wbstr Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

KJB-1769 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

KJB-1611 ¶ Better is the poore that walketh in his integrity, then he that is peruerse in his lippes, and is a foole.
(¶ Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, then he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.)

Bshps Better is the poore that liueth godly, then he that abuseth his lippes, and is a foole.
(Better is the poor that liveth/lives godly, then he that abuseth his lips, and is a fool.)

Gnva Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnes, then he that abuseth his lips, and is a foole.
(Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightnes, then he that abuseth his lips, and is a fool. )

Cvdl Better is the poore that lyueth godly, the the blasphemer that is but a foole.
(Better is the poor that liveth/lives godly, the the blasphemer that is but a fool.)

Wycl Betere is a pore man, that goith in his simplenesse, than a riche man bitynge hise lippis, and vnwijs.
(Better is a poor man, that goeth/goes in his simpleness, than a rich man biting his lips, and unwise.)

Luth Ein Armer, der in seiner Frömmigkeit wandelt, ist besser denn ein Verkehrter mit seinen Lippen, der doch ein Narr ist.
(A poor_(one), the/of_the in his piety/godliness transforms, is better because/than a Verkehrter with his lips, the/of_the though/but a fool(n) is.)

ClVg [Melior est pauper qui ambulat in simplicitate sua quam dives torquens labia sua, et insipiens.[fn]
([Better it_is poor who/which he_walks in/into/on simplicity his_own how dives torquens lips his_own, and stupid. )

19.1 Melior est pauper. Melior est simplex auditor verbi Dei, si ea, quæ in Scripturis intelligit, operando proficit, quam eruditus, si in his, quæ caute intellexerit, ad hæresim prædicandam labia detorquet.

19.1 Better it_is poor. Better it_is simplex I_hearr words of_God, when/but_if them, which in/into/on Scripturis understands, working is_progressing, how instructsus, when/but_if in/into/on his, which caute understood, to heresy beforedicandam lips detorquet.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

This section is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs. It has a very different structure from the longer poetic lectures of chapters 1–9. It consists mostly of individual couplets (two-line poems) that are each one verse in length. With the exception of the title (10:1a), paragraph breaks will not be indicated in the Notes or Display. You may of course choose to start each proverb as a separate paragraph in your translation.

In chapters 10–15, most of these one-verse couplets express a contrast between the two lines. One of the more common contrasts is between the righteous/wise and the wicked/foolish and the different consequences of their conduct.

In chapters 16:1–22:16, more topics are discussed. There is more emphasis on the role of the king and other leaders. In these chapters, there are few proverbs with contrasting lines. Some of the parallel lines are similar in meaning. More frequently, the second line adds to what the first line says or gives an example. Most of the verses have no obvious connection with the previous or following proverbs.UBS (page 214), Fox (page 509), McKane (page 413). Many scholars, including McKane, point out that there are some topical groupings as well as poetic connections. These include the repetition of certain words or sounds. This observation does not deny the individual nature of most of the proverbs in this Section.

Two of the types of proverbs in this section are not found in chapters 1–9. One type contains logical reasoning from the lesser to the greater. See 11:31 for a list of these proverbs. There are also several varieties of complex “better than” proverbs. The most common have a contrasting situation in each line (see 12:9). For other varieties, see 16:16, 19:1, and 21:9.

Many of the proverbs in this section refer to categories of people who share a common trait. For example, they refer to the righteous, the wise, the poor, and the lazy. In Hebrew, some verses use singular forms to refer to these groups of people. Other verses use plural forms. Still others use a combination of singular and plural. See the note on 10:30a–b for one example. For most of these verses, the Notes will not comment on the difference between singular and plural forms. Use a natural way in your language to refer to one or more people who are in the same category.

Many of the proverbs in this section express a general principle in abstract terms. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. For example, 10:2a–b says:

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

However, the author intended his readers to understand these proverbs as advice that they should follow. In some languages, authors or speakers give advice more directly, using pronouns such as you^(sing), you^(plur), we^(dual), or we^(incl). See the note on 10:2 for translation suggestions.

Some other headings for this section are:

Proverbs of Solomon (NIV)

The Wise Words of Solomon (NCV)

Here are many wise things that Solomon said

19:1

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^1aBetter a poor man who walks with integrity

^1bthan a fool whose lips are perverse.

In Hebrew, the parallel parts are arranged in the form of a chiasm. For example:

^1aBetter is a poor person who walks in his integrity

^1bthan one who is crooked in speech and is a fool. (ESV)

You should use whatever order is more natural in your language.

This proverb is a four-part “better than” proverb. It has the following pattern:

It is better to have A (bad/undesirable situation) + B (good/desirable situation)

than to have C (bad/undesirable situation) + D (another bad/undesirable situation)Waltke (page 98).

The four parts are:

A: poor (undesirable)

B: blameless (desirable)

C: foolish (undesirable)

D: perverse speech (also undesirable)

Although this proverb looks similar to proverbs such as 12:9, the pattern of contrasting parts is different. See the note on 12:9 for information on “better than” proverbs with contrasting situations in both lines.

The overall meaning of this proverb is that a person’s moral character is more important than his financial status.Hubbard (page 272). According to Murphy, the parallelism implies that the poor person refuses to tell lies in order to gain wealth. It also implies that the fool has told lies in order to become wealthy (page 142). These implications are certainly possible but should not be made explicit in a translation of this verse. It is better to be a poor person with a blameless life than to be a lying fool. This is true whether the fool is poor or rich.

19:1a

Better a poor man who walks with integrity

It is better to be a poor person who consistently does what is right and honest
If you^(sing) are a poor person who cannot be blamed for any fault, your situation is better

Better a poor man who walks with integrity: The phrase who walks with integrity refers to a person who is consistently perfect or blameless in his conduct. This phrase has the same meaning as the almost identical Hebrew phrase in 2:7b. See the note there. Some other ways to translate this line are:

Better a poor man who lives blamelessly (NJPS)

Better to be poor and above reproach (REB)

19:1b

than a fool whose lips are perverse.

than to be a fool whose words are crooked/deceitful.
than the situation of a foolish liar.

than a fool: For the word fool, see fool 2 in the Glossary.

whose lips are perverse: The phrase that the BSB translates as lips are perverse is literally “crooked in his lips.” It is a figure of speech that refers to a person who tells lies or speaks deceitfully. Some other ways to translate this line are:

than to be a lying fool (GNT)

than to be foolish and tell lies (NCV)

than to be one who talks dishonestly and is a fool (GW)

General Comment on 19:1a–b

In some languages, a comparison with the form “A is better than B” may need to be translated without making the comparison explicit. For example:

^1aIt is good for a person to be without faults, even though he is poor.

^1bIt is not good to be a fool who tells lies.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

רָ֭שׁ & בְּ⁠תֻמּ֑⁠וֹ מֵ⁠עִקֵּ֥שׁ שְׂ֝פָתָ֗י⁠ו וְ⁠ה֣וּא כְסִֽיל

poor & in,his_of,integrity more,than_the_[person]_perverse_of his_lips_of,of and=he fool

Here, one who is poor, his, one who is crooked, he, and a stupid one all refer to types of people in general, not specific people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use more natural expressions. Alternate translation: “is a poor person … in that person’s integrity than a person who is crooked in that one’s lips and is a stupid person”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הוֹלֵ֣ךְ בְּ⁠תֻמּ֑⁠וֹ

walking in,his_of,integrity

Here Solomon speaks of a person behaving with integrity as if integrity were a place that person walks in. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated a similar use of “walk” in [3:23](../03/23.md). Alternate translation: “who behaves with integrity”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בְּ⁠תֻמּ֑⁠וֹ

in,his_of,integrity

See how you translated the abstract noun integrity in [1:3](../01/03.md).

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

מֵ⁠עִקֵּ֥שׁ שְׂ֝פָתָ֗י⁠ו

more,than_the_[person]_perverse_of his_lips_of,of

Here Solomon uses the phrase crooked in his lips to refer to someone who speaks deceptively. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. See how you translated the similar use of crooked in [2:15](../02/15.md). Alternate translation: “than one who speaks with deception”

Parallel PROV 19:1

Section 10:1–22:16: This is the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs

19:1

19:1a

19:1b

General Comment on 19:1a–b