Proverbs 16–18

Chapter 16

¹We can make our own plans,

but the Lord gives the right answer.

²People may be pure in their own eyes,

but the Lord examines their motives.

³Commit your actions to the Lord,

and your plans will succeed.

⁴The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵The Lord detests the proud;

they will surely be punished.

⁶Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.

By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

⁷When people’s lives please the Lord,

even their enemies are at peace with them.

⁸Better to have little, with godliness,

than to be rich and dishonest.

⁹We can make our plans,

but the Lord determines our steps.

¹⁰The king speaks with divine wisdom;

he must never judge unfairly.

¹¹The Lord demands accurate scales and balances;

he sets the standards for fairness.

¹²A king detests wrongdoing,

for his rule is built on justice.

¹³The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;

he loves those who speak honestly.

¹⁴The anger of the king is a deadly threat;

the wise will try to appease it.

¹⁵When the king smiles, there is life;

his favor refreshes like a spring rain.

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold,

and good judgment than silver!

¹⁷The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;

whoever follows that path is safe.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction,

and haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹Better to live humbly with the poor

than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Those who listen to instruction will prosper;

those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

²¹The wise are known for their understanding,

and pleasant words are persuasive.

²²Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,

but discipline is wasted on fools.

²³From a wise mind comes wise speech;

the words of the wise are persuasive.

²⁴Kind words are like honey—

sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

²⁵There is a path before each person that seems right,

but it ends in death.

²⁶It is good for workers to have an appetite;

an empty stomach drives them on.

²⁷Scoundrels create trouble;

their words are a destructive blaze.

²⁸A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;

gossip separates the best of friends.

²⁹Violent people mislead their companions,

leading them down a harmful path.

³⁰With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;

with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory;

it is gained by living a godly life.

³²Better to be patient than powerful;

better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

³³We may throw the dice,

but the Lord determines how they fall.

Chapter 17

¹Better a dry crust eaten in peace

than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

²A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son

and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.

³Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;

liars pay close attention to slander.

⁵Those who mock the poor insult their Maker;

those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

⁶Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged;

parents are the pride of their children.

⁷Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool;

even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

⁸A bribe is like a lucky charm;

whoever gives one will prosper!

⁹Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,

but dwelling on it separates close friends.

¹⁰A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding

than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

¹¹Evil people are eager for rebellion,

but they will be severely punished.

¹²It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

¹³If you repay good with evil,

evil will never leave your house.

¹⁴Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate,

so stop before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,

since he has no heart for learning.

¹⁷A friend is always loyal,

and a brother is born to help in time of need.

¹⁸It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt

or put up security for a friend.

¹⁹Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin;

anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

²⁰The crooked heart will not prosper;

the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.

²¹It is painful to be the parent of a fool;

there is no joy for the father of a rebel.

²²A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

²³The wicked take secret bribes

to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,

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

²⁵Foolish children bring grief to their father

and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.

²⁶It is wrong to punish the godly for being good

or to flog leaders for being honest.

²⁷A truly wise person uses few words;

a person with understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;

with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

Chapter 18

¹Unfriendly people care only about themselves;

they lash out at common sense.

²Fools have no interest in understanding;

they only want to air their own opinions.

³Doing wrong leads to disgrace,

and scandalous behavior brings contempt.

⁴Wise words are like deep waters;

wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.

⁵It is not right to acquit the guilty

or deny justice to the innocent.

⁶Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;

they are asking for a beating.

⁷The mouths of fools are their ruin;

they trap themselves with their lips.

⁸Rumors are dainty morsels

that sink deep into one’s heart.

⁹A lazy person is as bad as

someone who destroys things.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong fortress;

the godly run to him and are safe.

¹¹The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;

they imagine it to be a high wall of safety.

¹²Haughtiness goes before destruction;

humility precedes honor.

¹³Spouting off before listening to the facts

is both shameful and foolish.

¹⁴The human spirit can endure a sick body,

but who can bear a crushed spirit?

¹⁵Intelligent people are always ready to learn.

Their ears are open for knowledge.

¹⁶Giving a gift can open doors;

it gives access to important people!

¹⁷The first to speak in court sounds right—

until the cross-examination begins.

¹⁸Flipping a coin can end arguments;

it settles disputes between powerful opponents.

¹⁹An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.

Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

²⁰Wise words satisfy like a good meal;

the right words bring satisfaction.

²¹The tongue can bring death or life;

those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

²²The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,

and he receives favor from the Lord.

²³The poor plead for mercy;

the rich answer with insults.

²⁴There are “friends” who destroy each other,

but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.