Proverbs 16

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.