Chapter 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.