Proverbs 16–18

Chapter 16

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

¹The ^aplans of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

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

But the ^aLord weighs the ¹motives.

^31aCommit your works to the Lord

And your plans will be established.

⁴The Lord ^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 the Lord;

Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

⁶By ^alovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,

And by the ^1bfear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,

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

⁸Better is a little with righteousness

Than great income with injustice.

⁹The mind of ^aman plans his way,

But ^bthe Lord directs 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 the Lord;

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

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,

For a ^athrone is established on righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

And he who speaks right is loved.

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

But a wise man will appease it.

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

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

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

And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

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

He who watches his way preserves his ¹life.

^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 gives attention to the word will ^afind good,

And ^bblessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

²¹The ^awise in heart will be called understanding,

And sweetness of ¹speech ^bincreases ²persuasiveness.

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

But the discipline of fools is folly.

²³The ^aheart of the wise instructs his mouth

And adds ¹persuasiveness 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 ¹hunger urges him on.

²⁷A ^aworthless man digs up evil,

While ¹his words are like ^bscorching fire.

²⁸A perverse man spreads strife,

And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

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.

³¹A ^agray head is a crown of glory;

It ^bis found in the way of righteousness.

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

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

³³The ^alot is cast into the lap,

But its every ^bdecision is from the Lord.

Chapter 17

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

^1aBetter is a dry morsel and quietness with it

Than a house full of ¹feasting with strife.

²A servant who acts wisely 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 ^bthe Lord tests hearts.

⁴An ^aevildoer listens to wicked lips;

A ¹liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵He who mocks the ^apoor taunts his Maker;

He who ^brejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

^6aGrandchildren are the crown of old men,

And the ^bglory of sons is their fathers.

^71aExcellent speech is not fitting for a fool,

Much less are ^blying lips to a prince.

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

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

⁹He who ^aconceals a transgression seeks love,

But he who repeats a matter ^bseparates intimate friends.

¹⁰A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding

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 quarrel before it breaks out.

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

Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

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

When ¹he has no sense?

¹⁷A ^afriend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man lacking in ¹sense ^2apledges

And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

¹⁹He who ^aloves transgression loves strife;

He who ^braises his door seeks destruction.

²⁰He who has a crooked ¹mind ^afinds no good,

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

²¹He who ^asires a fool does so to his sorrow,

And the father of a fool has no joy.

²²A ^ajoyful heart ¹is good medicine,

But a broken spirit ^bdries up the bones.

²³A wicked man receives a ^abribe from the bosom

To ^bpervert the ways of justice.

²⁴Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,

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

²⁵A ^afoolish son is a grief to his father

And ^bbitterness to her who bore him.

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

Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

²⁷He who ^arestrains his words ¹has knowledge,

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

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

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Chapter 18

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

¹He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He ^1aquarrels against all sound wisdom.

²A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only ^ain revealing his own ¹mind.

³When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,

And with dishonor comes scorn.

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

¹The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

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

Nor to ^bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.

⁶A fool’s lips ¹bring strife,

And his mouth calls for ^ablows.

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 body.

⁹He also who is ^aslack in his work

^bIs brother to him who destroys.

¹⁰The ^aname of the Lord is a ^bstrong tower;

The righteous runs into it and ^cis ¹safe.

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

And like a high wall in his own imagination.

^12aBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But ^bhumility goes before honor.

¹³He who ^agives an answer 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 ^1amind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ^bear of the wise seeks knowledge.

¹⁶A man’s ^agift makes room for him

And brings him before great men.

¹⁷The first ¹to plead his case seems right,

Until ²another comes and examines him.

¹⁸The cast ^alot puts an end to strife

And ¹decides between the mighty ones.

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

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

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

^bHe will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

^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 the Lord.

²³The ^apoor man utters supplications,

But the ^brich man ^canswers roughly.

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

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