15 dA soft answer turns away wrath,

but ea harsh word stirs up anger.

2  The tongue of the wise commends knowledge,

but fthe mouths of fools pour out folly.

3  gThe eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on the evil and the good.

4  hA gentle1 tongue is ia tree of life,

but jperverseness in it breaks the spirit.

5  kA fool ldespises his father’s instruction,

but mwhoever heeds reproof is prudent.

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

but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.

7  nThe lips of the wise spread knowledge;

nnot so the hearts of fools.2

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

but pthe prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.

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

but he loves him qwho pursues righteousness.

10  There is rsevere discipline for him who forsakes the way;

swhoever hates reproof will die.

11  Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord;

how much more tthe hearts of the children of man!

12  uA scoffer vdoes not like to be reproved;

he will not go to the wise.

13  wA glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but by xsorrow of heart the spirit is ycrushed.

14  zThe heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,

but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

15  All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but athe cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

16  bBetter is a little with the fear of the Lord

than great treasure and trouble with it.

17  cBetter is a dinner of herbs where love is

than da fattened ox and hatred with it.

18  eA hot-tempered man fstirs up strife,

but he who is gslow to anger quiets contention.

19  The way of ha sluggard is like a hedge of ithorns,

but the path of the upright is ja level highway.

20  kA wise son makes a glad father,

but a foolish man despises his mother.

21  lFolly is a joy to him who lacks sense,

but a man of understanding mwalks straight ahead.

22  nWithout counsel plans fail,

but with many advisers they succeed.

23  To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,

and oa word in season, how good it is!

24  The path of life leads upward pfor the prudent,

that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.

25  The Lord tears down the house of qthe proud

but rmaintains sthe widow’s boundaries.

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

but ugracious words are pure.

27  Whoever is vgreedy for unjust gain wtroubles his own household,

but he who hates xbribes will live.

28  The heart of the righteous yponders how to answer,

but zthe mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.

29  The Lord is afar from the wicked,

but he bhears the prayer of the righteous.

30  cThe light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and dgood news refreshes3 the bones.

31  eThe ear that listens to flife-giving reproof

will dwell among the wise.

32  Whoever gignores instruction hdespises himself,

but he who listens to reproof igains intelligence.

33  jThe fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,

and khumility comes before honor.

16 The plans of the heart belong to man,

but lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2  mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord nweighs the spirit. 1

3  oCommit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

4  pThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,

even qthe wicked for the day of trouble.

5  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ran abomination to the Lord;

sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.

6  By tsteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,

and by uthe fear of the Lord one vturns away from evil.

7  When a man’s ways please the Lord,

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

8  xBetter is a little with righteousness

than great revenues with injustice.

9  yThe heart of man plans his way,

but zthe Lord establishes his steps.

10  aAn oracle is on the lips of a king;

his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11  bA just balance and scales are the Lord’s;

all the weights in the bag are his work.

12  It is an abomination to kings to do evil,

for cthe throne is established by righteousness.

13  dRighteous lips are the delight of a king,

and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14  eA king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

and a wise man will fappease it.

15  gIn the light of a king’s face there is life,

and his dfavor is like hthe clouds that bring the spring rain.

16  iHow much better to get wisdom than jgold!

To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ksilver.

17  The highway of the upright lturns aside from evil;

whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18  mPride goes before destruction,

and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19  nIt is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor

than to odivide the spoil with the proud.

20  Whoever gives thought to the word2 pwill discover good,

and blessed is he qwho trusts in the Lord.

21  The wise of heart is called discerning,

and sweetness of speech rincreases persuasiveness.

22  Good sense is sa fountain of life to him who has it,

but the instruction of fools is folly.

23  tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24  uGracious words are like va honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul and whealth to the body.

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

but its end is the way to death.3

26  A worker’s appetite works for him;

his xmouth urges him on.

27  yA worthless man plots evil,

and his speech4 is like za scorching fire.

28  aA dishonest man spreads strife,

and ba whisperer cseparates close friends.

29  A man of violence dentices his neighbor

and leads him in a way that is not good.

30  Whoever winks his eyes plans5 edishonest things;

he who fpurses his lips brings evil to pass.

31  gGray hair is ha crown of glory;

it iis gained in a righteous life.

32  jWhoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

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

33  kThe lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is lfrom the Lord.