Proverbs 16:1–22:16

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1 The aplans of the heart belong to man,

But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

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

But the aLord weighs the 1motives.

3 1aCommit your works to the Lord

And your plans will be established.

4 The Lord ahas made everything for 1its own purpose,

Even the bwicked for the day of evil.

5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.

6 By alovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,

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

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

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

8 Better is a little with righteousness

Than great income with injustice.

9 The mind of aman plans his way,

But bthe Lord directs his steps.

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

His mouth should not 1err in judgment.

11 A ajust balance and scales belong to the Lord;

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

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

For a athrone is established on righteousness.

13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings,

And he who speaks right is loved.

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

But a wise man will appease it.

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

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

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

And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.

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

He who watches his way preserves his 1life.

18 aPride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

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

Than to bdivide the spoil with the proud.

20 He who gives attention to the word will afind good,

And bblessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

21 The awise in heart will be called understanding,

And sweetness of 1speech bincreases 2persuasiveness.

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

But the discipline of fools is folly.

23 The aheart of the wise instructs his mouth

And adds 1persuasiveness to his lips.

24 aPleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and bhealing to the bones.

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

But its end is the way of death.

26 A worker’s appetite works for him,

For his 1hunger urges him on.

27 A aworthless man digs up evil,

While 1his words are like bscorching fire.

28 A perverse man spreads strife,

And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

29 A man of violence aentices his neighbor

And leads him in a way that is not good.

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

He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

31 A agray head is a crown of glory;

It bis found in the way of righteousness.

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

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

33 The alot is cast into the lap,

But its every bdecision is from the Lord.

Chapter 17

Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1 aBetter is a dry morsel and quietness with it

Than a house full of 1feasting with strife.

2 A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,

And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

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

But bthe Lord tests hearts.

4 An aevildoer listens to wicked lips;

A 1liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

5 He who mocks the apoor taunts his Maker;

He who brejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

6 aGrandchildren are the crown of old men,

And the bglory of sons is their fathers.

7 1aExcellent speech is not fitting for a fool,

Much less are blying lips to a prince.

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

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

9 He who aconceals a transgression seeks love,

But he who repeats a matter bseparates intimate friends.

10 A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding

Than a hundred blows into a fool.

11 A rebellious man seeks only evil,

So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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

Rather than a fool in his folly.

13 He who areturns evil for good,

bEvil will not depart from his house.

14 The beginning of strife is like letting out water,

So aabandon the quarrel before it breaks out.

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

Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

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

When 1he has no sense?

17 A afriend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

18 A man lacking in 1sense 2apledges

And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.

19 He who aloves transgression loves strife;

He who braises his door seeks destruction.

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

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

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

And the father of a fool has no joy.

22 A ajoyful heart 1is good medicine,

But a broken spirit bdries up the bones.

23 A wicked man receives a abribe from the bosom

To bpervert the ways of justice.

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

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

25 A afoolish son is a grief to his father

And bbitterness to her who bore him.

26 It is also not good to afine the righteous,

Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

27 He who arestrains his words 1has knowledge,

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

28 Even 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

1 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,

He 1aquarrels against all sound wisdom.

2 A fool does not delight in understanding,

But only ain revealing his own 1mind.

3 When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,

And with dishonor comes scorn.

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

1The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

5 To ashow partiality to the wicked is not good,

Nor to bthrust aside the righteous in judgment.

6 A fool’s lips 1bring strife,

And his mouth calls for ablows.

7 A afool’s mouth is his ruin,

And his lips are the snare of his soul.

8 The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,

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

9 He also who is aslack in his work

bIs brother to him who destroys.

10 The aname of the Lord is a bstrong tower;

The righteous runs into it and cis 1safe.

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

And like a high wall in his own imagination.

12 aBefore destruction the heart of man is haughty,

But bhumility goes before honor.

13 He who agives an answer before he hears,

It is folly and shame to him.

14 The aspirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a bbroken spirit who can bear it?

15 The 1amind of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the bear of the wise seeks knowledge.

16 A man’s agift makes room for him

And brings him before great men.

17 The first 1to plead his case seems right,

Until 2another comes and examines him.

18 The cast alot puts an end to strife

And 1decides between the mighty ones.

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

And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.

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

bHe will be satisfied with the product of his lips.

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

And those who love it will eat its bfruit.

22 He who finds a awife finds a good thing

And bobtains favor from the Lord.

23 The apoor man utters supplications,

But the brich man canswers roughly.

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

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

Chapter 19

On Life and Conduct

1 aBetter is a poor man who bwalks in his integrity

Than he who is perverse in 1speech and is a fool.

2 Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge,

And he who hurries 1ahis footsteps 2errs.

3 The afoolishness of man ruins his way,

And his heart brages against the Lord.

4 aWealth adds many friends,

But a poor man is separated from his friend.

5 A afalse witness will not go unpunished,

And he who 1btells lies will not escape.

6 aMany will seek the favor of a 1generous man,

And every man is a friend to him who bgives gifts.

7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him;

How much more do his afriends abandon him!

He bpursues them with words, but they are 1gone.

8 He who gets 1wisdom loves his own soul;

He who keeps understanding will afind good.

9 A afalse witness will not go unpunished,

And he who 1tells lies will perish.

10 Luxury is anot fitting for a fool;

Much less for a bslave to rule over princes.

11 A man’s adiscretion makes him slow to anger,

And it is his glory bto overlook a transgression.

12 The aking’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,

But his favor is like bdew on the grass.

13 A afoolish son is destruction to his father,

And the bcontentions of a wife are a constant dripping.

14 House and wealth are an ainheritance from fathers,

But a prudent wife is from the Lord.

15 aLaziness casts into a deep sleep,

And an idle 1man will suffer hunger.

16 He who akeeps the commandment keeps his soul,

But he who 1is careless of 2conduct will die.

17 One who ais gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord,

And He will repay him for his 1bgood deed.

18 aDiscipline your son while there is hope,

And do not desire 1his death.

19 A man of great anger will bear the penalty,

For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.

20 aListen to counsel and accept discipline,

That you may be wise 1the rest of your days.

21 Many aplans are in a man’s heart,

But the bcounsel of the Lord will stand.

22 What is desirable in a man is his 1kindness,

And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

23 The 1afear of the Lord leads to life,

So that one may sleep bsatisfied, 2cuntouched by evil.

24 The asluggard buries his hand bin the dish,

But will not even bring it back to his mouth.

25 aStrike a scoffer and the 1naive may become shrewd,

But breprove one who has understanding and he will 2gain knowledge.

26 He awho assaults his father …