Proverbs 16–18

16The ^apreparations ¹of the heart belong to man,

^bBut the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

²All the ways of a man are pure in his own ^ceyes,

But the Lord weighs the spirits.

^3dCommit ²your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established.

⁴The ^eLord has made all for Himself,

^fYes, even the wicked for the day of ³doom.

^5gEveryone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;

Though they join ⁴forces, none will go unpunished.

^6hIn mercy and truth

Atonement is provided for iniquity;

And ⁱby the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

⁷When a man’s ways please the Lord,

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

^8jBetter is a little with righteousness,

Than vast revenues without justice.

^9kA man’s heart plans his way,

^lBut the Lord directs his steps.

¹⁰Divination is on the lips of the king;

His mouth must not transgress in judgment.

^11mHonest weights and scales are the Lord’s;

All the weights in the bag are His ⁵work.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,

For ⁿa throne is established by righteousness.

^13oRighteous lips are the delight of kings,

And they love him who speaks what is right.

¹⁴As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,

But a wise man will ^pappease it.

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

And his favor is like a ^qcloud of the latter rain.

^16rHow much better to get wisdom than gold!

And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

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

He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before ⁶a fall.

¹⁹Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,

Than to divide the ⁷spoil with the proud.

²⁰He who heeds the word wisely will find good,

And whoever ^strusts in the Lord, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart will be called prudent,

And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

²²Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.

But the correction of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,

And adds learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of ^tdeath.

²⁶The person who labors, labors for himself,

For his hungry mouth drives ^uhim on.

²⁷⁸An ungodly man digs up evil,

And it is on his lips like a burning ^vfire.

²⁸A perverse man sows strife,

And ^wa whisperer separates the best of friends.

²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor,

And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰He winks his eye to devise perverse things;

He ⁹purses his lips and brings about evil.

^31xThe silver-haired head is a crown of glory,

If it is found in the way of righteousness.

^32yHe who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap,

But its every decision is from the Lord.

17Better is ^aa dry morsel with quietness,

Than a house full of ¹feasting with strife.

²A wise servant will rule over ^ba son who causes shame,

And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

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

^cBut the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴An evildoer gives heed to false lips;

A liar listens eagerly to a ²spiteful tongue.

^5dHe who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;

^eHe who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

^6fChildren’s children are the crown of old men,

And the glory of children is their father.

⁷Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,

Much less lying lips to a prince.

⁸A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;

Wherever he turns, he prospers.

^9gHe who covers a transgression seeks love,

But ^hhe who repeats a matter separates friends.

¹⁰ⁱRebuke is more effective for a wise man

Than a hundred blows on a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeks only rebellion;

Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹²Let a man meet ^ja bear robbed of her cubs,

Rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoever ^krewards evil for good,

Evil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like releasing water;

Therefore ^lstop contention before a quarrel starts.

^15mHe who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,

Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

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

Since he has no heart for it?

¹⁷ⁿA friend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity.

^18oA man devoid of ³understanding ⁴shakes hands in a pledge,

And becomes ⁵surety for his friend.

¹⁹He who loves transgression loves strife,

And ^phe who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

²⁰He who has a ⁶deceitful heart finds no good,

And he who has ^qa perverse tongue falls into evil.

²¹He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,

And the father of a fool has no joy.

²²A ^rmerry heart ⁷does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones.

²³A wicked man accepts a bribe ⁸behind the back

To pervert the ways of justice.

^24sWisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,

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

²⁵A ^tfoolish son is a grief to his father,

And bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶Also, to punish the righteous is not good,

Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

^27uHe who has knowledge spares his words,

And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

^28vEven a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;

When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

18A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire;

He rages against all ¹wise judgment.

²A fool has no delight in understanding,

But in expressing his ^aown heart.

³When the wicked comes, contempt comes also;

And with dishonor comes reproach.

^4bThe words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;

^cThe wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

⁵It is not good to show partiality to the wicked,

Or to overthrow the righteous in ^djudgment.

⁶A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calls for blows.

^7eA fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his ^fsoul.

^8gThe words of a ²talebearer are like ³tasty trifles,

And they go down into the ⁴inmost body.

⁹He who is slothful in his work

Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong ^htower;

The righteous run to it and are ⁵safe.

¹¹The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,

And like a high wall in his own esteem.

¹²ⁱBefore destruction the heart of a man is haughty,

And before honor is humility.

¹³He who answers a matter before he hears it,

It is folly and shame to him.

¹⁴The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness,

But who can bear a broken spirit?

¹⁵The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge,

And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

^16jA man’s gift makes room for him,

And brings him before great men.

¹⁷The first one to plead his cause seems right,

Until his neighbor comes and examines him.

¹⁸Casting ^klots causes contentions to cease,

And keeps the mighty apart.

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

And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

^20lA man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;

From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

^21mDeath and life are in the power of the tongue,

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

²²ⁿHe who finds a wife finds a good thing,

And obtains favor from the Lord.

²³The poor man uses entreaties,

But the rich answers ^oroughly.

²⁴A man who has friends ⁶must himself be friendly,

^pBut there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.