Proverbs 16–18

16To humans belong the plans of the heart,

but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.^t

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,^u

but motives are weighed^v by the Lord.^w

³Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans.^x

⁴The Lord works out everything to its proper end^y—

even the wicked for a day of disaster.^z

⁵The Lord detests all the proud of heart.^a

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.^b

⁶Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;

through the fear of the Lord^c evil is avoided.^d

⁷When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,

he causes their enemies to make peace^e with them.^f

⁸Better a little with righteousness

than much gain^g with injustice.^h

⁹In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.ⁱ

¹⁰The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

and his mouth does not betray justice.^j

¹¹Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.^k

¹²Kings detest wrongdoing,

for a throne is established through righteousness.^l

¹³Kings take pleasure in honest lips;

they value the one who speaks what is right.^m

¹⁴A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,ⁿ

but the wise will appease it.^o

¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, it means life;^p

his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.^q

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold,

to get insight^r rather than silver!^s

¹⁷The highway of the upright avoids evil;

those who guard their ways preserve their lives.^t

¹⁸Pride^u goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit^v before a fall.^w

¹⁹Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed

than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,^ax

and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.^y

²¹The wise in heart are called discerning,

and gracious words promote instruction.^bz

²²Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,^a

but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,^b

and their lips promote instruction.^cc

²⁴Gracious words are a honeycomb,^d

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.^e

²⁵There is a way that appears to be right,^f

but in the end it leads to death.^g

²⁶The appetite of laborers works for them;

their hunger drives them on.

²⁷A scoundrel^h plots evil,

and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.ⁱ

²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict,^j

and a gossip separates close friends.^k

²⁹A violent person entices their neighbor

and leads them down a path that is not good.^l

³⁰Whoever winks^m with their eye is plotting perversity;

whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of splendor;ⁿ

it is attained in the way of righteousness.

³²Better a patient person than a warrior,

one with self-control than one who takes a city.

³³The lot is cast^o into the lap,

but its every decision^p is from the Lord.^q

17Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.^r

²A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

³The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,^s

but the Lord tests the heart.^t

⁴A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;

a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵Whoever mocks the poor^u shows contempt for their Maker;^v

whoever gloats over disaster^w will not go unpunished.^x

⁶Children’s children^y are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

⁷Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!^z

⁸A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;

they think success will come at every turn.^a

⁹Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,^b

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.^c

¹⁰A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

¹¹Evildoers foster rebellion against God;

the messenger of death will be sent against them.

¹²Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool bent on folly.^d

¹³Evil will never leave the house

of one who pays back evil^e for good.^f

¹⁴Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.^g

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent^h—

the Lord detests them both.ⁱ

¹⁶Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,

when they are not able to understand it?^j

¹⁷A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.^k

¹⁸One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge

and puts up security for a neighbor.^l

¹⁹Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;

whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;

one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

²¹To have a fool for a child brings grief;

there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.^m

²²A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushedⁿ spirit dries up the bones.^o

²³The wicked accept bribes^p in secret

to pervert the course of justice.^q

²⁴A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes^r wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the mother who bore him.^s

²⁶If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,^t

surely to flog honest officials is not right.

²⁷The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,^u

and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.^v

²⁸Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

and discerning if they hold their tongues.^w

18An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends

and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

²Fools find no pleasure in understanding

but delight in airing their own opinions.^x

³When wickedness comes, so does contempt,

and with shame comes reproach.

⁴The words of the mouth are deep waters,^y

but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

⁵It is not good to be partial to the wicked^z

and so deprive the innocent of justice.^a

⁶The lips of fools bring them strife,

and their mouths invite a beating.^b

⁷The mouths of fools are their undoing,

and their lips are a snare^c to their very lives.^d

⁸The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to the inmost parts.^e

⁹One who is slack in his work

is brother to one who destroys.^f

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;^g

the righteous run to it and are safe.^h

¹¹The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;ⁱ

they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

¹²Before a downfall the heart is haughty,

but humility comes before honor.^j

¹³To answer before listening—

that is folly and shame.^k

¹⁴The human spirit can endure in sickness,

but a crushed spirit who can bear?^l

¹⁵The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,^m

for the ears of the wise seek it out.

¹⁶A giftⁿ opens the way

and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

¹⁷In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,

until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

¹⁸Casting the lot settles disputes^o

and keeps strong opponents apart.

¹⁹A brother wronged^p is more unyielding than a fortified city;

disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

²⁰From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;

with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.^q

²¹The tongue has the power of life and death,^r

and those who love it will eat its fruit.^s

²²He who finds a wife finds what is good^t

and receives favor from the Lord.^u

²³The poor plead for mercy,

but the rich answer harshly.

²⁴One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.^v