15 A asoft answer turns away wrath,

But ba harsh word stirs up anger.

2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,

cBut the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

3 dThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

4 A 1wholesome tongue is a tree of life,

But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

5 eA fool despises his father’s instruction,

fBut he who 2receives correction is prudent.

6 In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,

But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

7 The lips of the wise 3disperse knowledge,

But the heart of the fool does not do so.

8 gThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

But the prayer of the upright is His delight.

9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,

But He loves him who hfollows righteousness.

10 iHarsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,

And jhe who hates correction will die.

11 kHell 4and 5Destruction are before the Lord;

So how much more lthe hearts of the sons of men.

12 mA scoffer does not love one who corrects him,

Nor will he go to the wise.

13 nA merry heart makes a cheerful 6countenance,

But oby sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,

pBut he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

16 qBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord,

Than great treasure with trouble.

17 rBetter is a dinner of 7herbs where love is,

Than a fatted calf with hatred.

18 sA wrathful man stirs up strife,

But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

19 tThe way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,

But the way of the upright is a highway.

20 uA wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish man despises his mother.

21 vFolly is joy to him who is destitute of 8discernment,

wBut a man of understanding walks uprightly.

22 xWithout counsel, plans go awry,

But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,

And ya word spoken 9in due season, how good it is!

24 zThe way of life winds upward for the wise,

That he may aturn away from 1hell below.

25 bThe Lord will destroy the house of the proud,

But cHe will establish the boundary of the widow.

26 dThe thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,

eBut the words of the pure are pleasant.

27 fHe who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,

But he who hates bribes will live.

28 The heart of the righteous gstudies how to answer,

But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

29 hThe Lord is far from the wicked,

But iHe hears the prayer of the righteous.

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

And a good report makes the bones 2healthy.

31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life

Will abide among the wise.

32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,

But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

33 jThe fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,

And kbefore honor is humility.

16 The apreparations 1of the heart belong to man,

bBut the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own ceyes,

But the Lord weighs the spirits.

3 dCommit 2your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established.

4 The eLord has made all for Himself,

fYes, even the wicked for the day of 3doom.

5 gEveryone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

Though they join 4forces, none will go unpunished.

6 hIn mercy and truth

Atonement is provided for iniquity;

And iby the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,

He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8 jBetter is a little with righteousness,

Than vast revenues without justice.

9 kA man’s heart plans his way,

lBut the Lord directs his steps.

10 Divination is on the lips of the king;

His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

11 mHonest weights and scales are the Lord’s;

All the weights in the bag are His 5work.

12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

For na throne is established by righteousness.

13 oRighteous lips are the delight of kings,

And they love him who speaks what is right.

14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,

But a wise man will pappease it.

15 In the light of the king’s face is life,

And his favor is like a qcloud of the latter rain.

16 rHow much better to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;

He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

18 Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before 6a fall.

19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

Than to divide the 7spoil with the proud.

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,

And whoever strusts in the Lord, happy is he.

21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,

And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.

But the correction of fools is folly.

23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,

And adds learning to his lips.

24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of tdeath.

26 The person who labors, labors for himself,

For his hungry mouth drives uhim on.

27 8An ungodly man digs up evil,

And it is on his lips like a burning vfire.

28 A perverse man sows strife,

And wa whisperer separates the best of friends.

29 A violent man entices his neighbor,

And leads him in a way that is not good.

30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;

He 9purses his lips and brings about evil.

31 xThe silver-haired head is a crown of glory,

If it is found in the way of righteousness.

32 yHe who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,

But its every decision is from the Lord.