Proverbs 16–18

16^aThe ^||preparations of the heart in man,

And ^bthe answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

^2cAll the ways of a man are ^dclean in his own eyes;

But ^cethe Lord weigheth the spirits.

^3f†Commit thy works unto the Lord,

And thy thoughts shall be established.

^4gThe Lord hath made all things for himself:

Yea, ^heven the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Every one that is ⁱproud in heart is ^kan abomination to the Lord:

^lThough hand join in hand, he shall not be ^†unpunished.

⁶By ^mmercy and truth ⁿiniquity is purged:

And by the fear of the Lord men ^odepart from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord,

He ^pmaketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

^8qBetter is a little with righteousness

Than great revenues ^rwithout right.

⁹A ^sman’s heart deviseth his way:

But ^tthe Lord directeth his steps.

^10†uA divine sentence is in the lips of the king:

His mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

¹¹A just ^wweight and ^xbalance are the Lord’s:

^†All the ^xweights of the ^ybag are his work.

¹²It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness:

For ^zthe throne is established by righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are ^athe delight of kings;

And they love him that speaketh right.

^14bThe wrath of a king is as messengers of death:

But a wise man will ^cpacify it.

^15dIn the light of the king’s countenance is life;

And ^ahis favour is as a cloud of ^ethe latter rain.

^16fHow much better is it to get wisdom than ^ggold!

And to get understanding ^hrather to be chosen than silver!

¹⁷The ⁱhighway of the upright is ^jto depart from evil:

He that ^kkeepeth his way preserveth his soul.

^18lPride goeth before destruction,

And an haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better it is to be ^mof an humble spirit with the lowly,

Than ⁿto divide the spoil with the proud.

^20||He that handleth ^oa matter wisely ^ooshall find good:

And ^pwhoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart shall be called prudent:

And the sweetness of the lips ^qincreaseth learning.

²²Understanding is ^ra wellspring of life ^sunto him that hath it:

But the instruction of fools is folly.

^23tThe heart of the wise ^†teacheth his mouth,

And ^qaddeth learning to his lips.

^24uPleasant words are as an ^xhoneycomb,

^xSweet to the soul, and ^yhealth to the bones.

^25zThere is a way that seemeth right unto a man,

But the end thereof are the ways of death.

^26†He that laboureth laboureth ^afor himself;

For ^bhis mouth ^†craveth it of him.

^27†An ungodly man diggeth up evil:

And in his lips there is as a ^cburning fire.

^28dA ^efroward man ^†soweth strife:

And ^fa whisperer ^gseparateth chief friends.

^29hA violent man ⁱenticeth his neighbour,

And leadeth him into the way that is not good.

³⁰He shutteth his eyes to devise ^kfroward things:

^lMoving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

^31mThe hoary head is ⁿa crown of glory,

If it be found in the way of righteousness.

^32oHe that is ^pslow to anger is better than the mighty;

And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

^33qThe lot is cast into the ^rlap;

But the whole disposing thereof is ^sof the Lord.

17^aBetter is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith,

Than an house full of ^||sacrifices with strife.

²A wise servant shall have rule over ^ba son that causeth shame,

And shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

^3cThe fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold:

But the Lord ^dtrieth the hearts.

⁴A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips;

And a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

⁵Whoso mocketh the poor ^ereproacheth ^ehis Maker:

And ^fhe that is glad at calamities shall not be ^†unpunished.

^6gChildren’s children are ^hthe crown of old men;

And ⁱthe glory of children are their fathers.

^7†Excellent speech ^kbecometh not a fool:

Much less do ^†lying lips a prince.

^8lA gift is as ^†a precious stone in the eyes of ^mhim that hath it:

Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

⁹ⁿHe that covereth a transgression ^||seeketh love;

But he that repeateth a matter ^oseparateth very friends.

^10||A reproof ^qentereth more into a wise man

Than an hundred stripes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeketh only rebellion:

Therefore a ^rcruel messenger ^sshall be sent against him.

^12tLet a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man,

^ttRather than a fool in his folly.

^13uWhoso rewardeth ^xevil for good,

Evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water:

Therefore ^yleave off contention, before it ^zbe meddled with.

¹⁵He that ^ajustifieth the wicked, and he that ^bcondemneth the just,

Even they both are abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool

To ^cget wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

^17dA friend loveth at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of ^†understanding ^estriketh hands,

And ^ebecometh surety in the presence of his friend.

¹⁹He loveth transgression that loveth strife:

And ^fhe that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

^20†He that hath a froward heart findeth no good:

And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

^21gHe that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow:

And the father of a fool hath no joy.

^22hA merry heart doeth good ^||like a medicine:

But a ^hbroken spirit ⁱdrieth the bones.

²³A wicked man taketh a gift out of the ^kbosom

^lTo pervert the ways of judgment.

^24mWisdom is ⁿbefore him that hath understanding;

But ⁿthe eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

^25gA foolish son is a grief to his father,

And bitterness to ⁿⁿher that bare him.

²⁶Also ^bto ^opunish the just is not good,

Nor to strike princes for equity.

²⁷He that hath knowledge ^oospareth his words:

And a man of understanding is of ^||an excellent spirit.

²⁸Even a fool, ^pwhen he holdeth his peace, is counted wise:

And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

18^||Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh

And ^bintermeddleth with all ^cwisdom.

²A fool hath no delight in understanding,

But ^dthat his heart may discover itself.

³When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt,

And with ignominy reproach.

^4eThe words of a man’s mouth are as ^fdeep waters,

And the wellspring of wisdom as ^ga flowing brook.

⁵It is not good to ^haccept the person of the wicked,

To ⁱoverthrow the righteous in judgment.

⁶A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calleth for ^kstrokes.

^7lA fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

^8mThe words of a ^||talebearer are ^||as wounds,

^mAnd they go down into the ^†innermost parts of the belly.

⁹He also that is slothful in his work

Is ⁿbrother to him that is a ^ogreat waster.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is ^pa strong tower:

The righteous runneth into it, and ^†is safe.

^11qThe rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And as an high wall in his own ^rconceit.

^12sBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,

And ^tbefore honour is humility.

¹³He that ^†answereth a matter ^ubefore he heareth it,

It is folly and shame unto him.

¹⁴The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity;

But ^xa wounded spirit who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the prudent ^ygetteth knowledge;

And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

^16zA man’s gift maketh room for him,

And bringeth him before great men.

¹⁷He that is first in his own cause seemeth just;

But ^ahis neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

¹⁸The lot causeth contentions to cease,

And parteth between the mighty.

¹⁹A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city:

And their contentions are like the bars of a ^bcastle.

^20cA man’s belly shall be satisfied with ^cthe fruit of his mouth;

And with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

^21dDeath and life are in the power of the tongue:

And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

^22eWhoso findeth a wife findeth a ^fgood thing,

And ^gobtaineth favour ^hof the Lord.

²³The poor useth intreaties;

But ⁱthe rich answereth roughly.

²⁴A man that hath friends must ^jshew himself friendly:

And ^kthere is ^la friend that sticketh closer than a brother.