Proverbs 16
16 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.t
2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them,u
but motives are weighedv by the Lord.w
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.x
4 The Lord works out everything to its proper endy—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.z
5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart.a
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.b
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lordc evil is avoided.d
7 When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peacee with them.f
8 Better a little with righteousness
than much gaing with injustice.h
9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.i
10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.j
11 Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.k
for a throne is established through righteousness.l
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.m
14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,n
but the wise will appease it.o
15 When a king’s face brightens, it means life;p
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.q
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insightr rather than silver!s
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.t
18 Prideu goes before destruction,
a haughty spiritv before a fall.w
19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,a x
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.y
21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.b z
22 Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,a
but folly brings punishment to fools.
23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,b
and their lips promote instruction.c c
24 Gracious words are a honeycomb,d
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.e
25 There is a way that appears to be right,f
but in the end it leads to death.g
26 The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.
27 A scoundrelh plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.i
28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,j
and a gossip separates close friends.k
29 A violent person entices their neighbor
and leads them down a path that is not good.l
30 Whoever winksm with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.
31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;n
it is attained in the way of righteousness.
32 Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.
33 The lot is casto into the lap,