Proverbs 16–18

CHAPTER 16

¹The ^1aplans of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.

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

But ^aYahweh weighs the ¹motives.

^31aCommit your works to Yahweh

And your ²plans will be established.

⁴Yahweh ^ahas made everything for ¹its own purpose,

Even the ^bwicked for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh;

Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

⁶By ^alovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,

And by the ^1bfear of Yahweh one turns away from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways are pleasing to Yahweh,

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

⁸Better is a little with righteousness

Than great produce with injustice.

⁹The heart of ^aman ¹plans his way,

But ^bYahweh ²directs his steps.

¹⁰A divine ^adecision is in the lips of the king;

His mouth should not ¹err in judgment.

¹¹A ^ajust balance and scales belong to Yahweh;

All the ¹weights of the bag are His ²work.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

For in righteousness a ^athrone is established.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

And he who speaks uprightly is loved.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is like messengers of death,

But a wise man will atone for it.

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

And his favor is like a cloud with the ^1alate rain.

¹⁶How much ^abetter it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold!

And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.

¹⁷The ^ahighway of the upright is to turn away from evil;

He who guards his way keeps his ¹soul.

^18aPride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

¹⁹It is better to be ^ahumble in spirit with the lowly

Than to ^bdivide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He who considers the word will ^afind good,

And how ^bblessed is he who trusts in Yahweh.

²¹The ^awise in heart will be called understanding,

And sweetness of ¹lips ^bincreases learning.

²²Insight is a fountain of life to one who has it,

But the discipline of ignorant fools is ¹folly.

²³The ^aheart of the wise gives insight to his mouth

And increases learning to his lips.

^24aPleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and ^bhealing to the bones.

^25aThere is a way which seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him,

For his mouth urges him on.

²⁷A ^avile man digs up evil,

And the words on his lips are like ^bscorching fire.

²⁸A perverse man spreads strife,

And a whisperer separates close companions.

²⁹A man of violence ^aentices his neighbor

And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;

He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

^31aGray hair is a crown of beauty;

It ^bis found in the way of righteousness.

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

And he who rules his own spirit, than he who captures a city.

³³The ^alot is cast into the lap,

But its every ^bjudgment is from Yahweh.

CHAPTER 17

^1aBetter is a dry morsel and tranquility with it

Than a house full of ¹feasting with strife.

²A slave who acts insightfully will rule over a son who acts shamefully,

And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

³The ^arefining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,

But ^bYahweh tests hearts.

⁴An ^aevildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;

¹A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

⁵He who mocks the ^apoor reproaches his Maker;

He who is ^bglad at disaster will not go unpunished.

^61aGrandchildren are the crown of old men,

And the ^bbeauty of sons is their fathers.

^7aExcellent lips are not fitting for a ¹wicked fool,

Even less are ^blying lips for a noble man.

⁸A ^abribe is a ¹charm in the eyes of its owner;

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who ^acovers a transgression seeks love,

But he who repeats a matter ^bseparates close companions.

¹⁰A rebuke goes deeper into one who understands

Than a hundred blows into a fool.

¹¹A rebellious man seeks only evil,

So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²Let a ^aman meet a ^bbear robbed of her cubs,

Rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³He who ^areturns evil for good,

^bEvil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

So ^aabandon the dispute before it breaks out.

¹⁵He who ^ajustifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,

Both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

¹⁶Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to ^aacquire wisdom,

When ¹he has no heart of wisdom?

¹⁷A ^afriend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking a heart of wisdom ^astrikes his ¹hands in pledge

And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who ^aloves transgression loves quarreling;

He who ^bmakes his doorway high seeks destruction.

²⁰He who has a crooked heart ^afinds no good,

And he who is ^bperverted in his tongue falls into evil.

²¹He who ^abegets a fool does so to his grief,

And the father of a wicked fool is not glad.

²²A ^aglad heart ¹is good medicine,

But a broken spirit ^bdries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a ^abribe from the bosom

To ^bthrust aside the paths of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands,

But the ^aeyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A ^afoolish son is a vexation to his father

And ^bbitterness to her who gave birth to him.

²⁶It is also not good to ^apunish the righteous,

Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

²⁷He who ^aholds back his words ¹has knowledge,

And he who has a ^bcool spirit is a man of discernment.

²⁸Even an ignorant fool, when he ^akeeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered understanding.

CHAPTER 18

¹He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He ^abreaks out in dispute against all sound wisdom.

²A fool does not delight in discernment,

But only ^ain revealing his own heart.

³When a wicked man comes, despising also comes,

And with disgrace comes reproach.

⁴The words of a man’s mouth are ^adeep waters;

¹The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

⁵To ^ashow partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to ^bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.

⁶A fool’s lips come with strife,

And his mouth calls for ^abeatings.

⁷A ^afool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

⁸The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

And they go down into the ¹innermost parts of the stomach.

⁹He also who is ^aslack in his work

^bIs brother to him who destroys.

¹⁰The ^aname of Yahweh is a ^bstrong tower;

The righteous runs into it and is ^cset securely on high.

¹¹A ^arich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own delusion.

^12aBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But ^bhumility goes before glory.

¹³He who ^aresponds with a word before he hears,

It is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴The ^aspirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a ^bbroken spirit, who can bear it?

¹⁵The ^aheart of the understanding acquires knowledge,

And the ^bear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man’s ^agift makes room for him

And leads him into the presence of great men.

¹⁷The first ¹to plead his case seems right,

Until ²another comes and examines him.

¹⁸The cast ^alot puts an end to contentions

And ¹decides between the mighty ones.

¹⁹A brother offended is harder to win over than a strong city,

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

²⁰From the ^1afruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;

^bWith the produce of his lips he will be satisfied.

^21aDeath and life are in the ¹power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its ^bfruit.

²²He who finds a ^awife finds a good thing

And ^bobtains favor from Yahweh.

²³The ^apoor man speaks supplications,

But the ^brich man ^canswers with strong words.

²⁴A man of too many friends comes to ¹ruin,

But there is ^aa ²friend who sticks closer than a brother.