Proverbs 16

16To mortals belong the plans of the heart,

but from Yahweh comes the answer of the tongue.

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

but Yahweh weighs the spirit.^a

³Commit your work to Yahweh,

and your plans will be established.

⁴All Yahweh has made is for his^b purpose,

and even the wicked for the day of trouble.

⁵An abomination of Yahweh are all who are arrogant of heart;^c

rest assured,^d he will not go unpunished.

⁶By loyalty and faithfulness, iniquity will be covered over,^e

and by fear of Yahweh one turns^f from evil.

⁷When the ways of a man are pleasing to Yahweh,

even his enemies he will cause to make peace with him.

⁸Better is little with righteousness

than great income with no justice.

⁹The mind^g of a person will plan his ways,

and Yahweh will direct his steps.

¹⁰A decision is upon the lips of a king;

in judgment his mouth will not sin.

¹¹A balance and scales of justice belong to Yahweh;

all the weights of the bag are his work.

¹²An abomination to kings is doing evil,

for by righteousness the throne will be established.

¹³The delight of kings are the lips of righteousness,

and he who speaks what is upright he will love.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is a messenger of death,

but one who is wise will appease^h it.

¹⁵In the light of the face of the king there is life,

and his favor is like a cloud of spring rain.

¹⁶Getting wisdom: how muchⁱ better than gold!

And getting understanding: it is chosen over^j silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright, it turns from evil,

he who guards himself^k keeps his way.

¹⁸Before destruction comes pride,

and before a fall, a haughty spirit.^l

¹⁹Better a lowly spirit with the poor

than dividing the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He who is attentive to a matter will find goodness,

and he who trusts in Yahweh, his own happiness.

²¹The wise of heart^m is called perceptive,

but he who is pleasant of lips will increase persuasiveness.

²²A fountain of life is wisdom for its owner,ⁿ

but the instruction^o of fools is folly.

²³The heart^p of the wise will make his mouth judicious,

and upon his lips, it^q will add persuasiveness.

²⁴Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb,

sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seems upright to^r a man,

but its end is the way of death.

²⁶The life^s of a worker works for him,

for his hunger^t urges him.

²⁷A man of wickedness concocts evil,

and his lips are like a scorching fire.

²⁸A person of perversity will spread dissent,

and he who whispers separates a close friend.

²⁹A person of violence will entice his neighbor

and cause him to walk on a way that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eyes does so in order to plan perverse things;

he who purses his lips will bring evil to pass.

³¹A crown of glory is gray hair;

by a righteous life it is gained.

³²He who is slow to anger^u is better than him who is mighty,

and he who controls his spirit than him who captures a city.

³³The lot will be cast into the lap,

but all of its decisions are from Yahweh.