Proverbs 16

New International Version

16 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.^(A)

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,^(B)
but motives are weighed^(C) by the Lord.^(D)

³Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.^(E)

⁴The Lord works out everything to its proper end^(F)—
even the wicked for a day of disaster.^(G)

⁵The Lord detests all the proud of heart.^(H)
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.^(I)

⁶Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord^(J) evil is avoided.^(K)

⁷When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peace^(L) with them.^(M)

⁸Better a little with righteousness
than much gain^(N) with injustice.^(O)

⁹In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.^(P)

¹⁰The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.^(Q)

¹¹Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.^(R)

¹²Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.^(S)

¹³Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.^(T)

¹⁴A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,^(U)
but the wise will appease it.^(V)

¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, it means life;^(W)
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.^(X)

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight^(Y) rather than silver!^(Z)

¹⁷The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.^(AA)

¹⁸Pride^(AB) goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit^(AC) before a fall.^(AD)

¹⁹Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,^[a]^(AE)
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.^(AF)

²¹The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.^[b]^(AG)

²²Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,^(AH)
but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,^(AI)
and their lips promote instruction.^[c]^(AJ)

²⁴Gracious words are a honeycomb,^(AK)
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.^(AL)

²⁵There is a way that appears to be right,^(AM)
but in the end it leads to death.^(AN)

²⁶The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.

²⁷A scoundrel^(AO) plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.^(AP)

²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict,^(AQ)
and a gossip separates close friends.^(AR)

²⁹A violent person entices their neighbor
and leads them down a path that is not good.^(AS)

³⁰Whoever winks^(AT) with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of splendor;^(AU)
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^(AV) into the lap,
but its every decision^(AW) is from the Lord.^(AX)

Footnotes

Proverbs 16:20 Or whoever speaks prudently finds what is good
Proverbs 16:21 Or words make a person persuasive
Proverbs 16:23 Or prudent / and make their lips persuasive

Jude

New International Version

¹Jude,^(A) a servant of Jesus Christ^(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,^(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for^[a] Jesus Christ:^(D)

²Mercy, peace^(E) and love be yours in abundance.^(F)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

³Dear friends,^(G) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,^(H) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend^(I) for the faith^(J) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.^(K) ⁴For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(L) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(M)

⁵Though you already know all this,^(N) I want to remind you^(O) that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^(P) ⁶And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.^(Q) ⁷In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah^(R) and the surrounding towns^(S) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.^(T)

⁸In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.^(U) ⁹But even the archangel^(V) Michael,^(W) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,^(X) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”^[d]^(Y) ¹⁰Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.^(Z)

¹¹Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(AA) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(AB) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(AC)

¹²These people are blemishes at your love feasts,^(AD) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.^(AE) They are clouds without rain,^(AF) blown along by the wind;^(AG) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted^(AH)—twice dead. ¹³They are wild waves of the sea,^(AI) foaming up their shame;^(AJ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.^(AK)

¹⁴Enoch,^(AL) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(AM) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^(AN) ¹⁵to judge^(AO) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^[e]^(AP) ¹⁶These people are grumblers^(AQ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(AR) they boast^(AS) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷But, dear friends, remember what the apostles^(AT) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.^(AU) ¹⁸They said to you, “In the last times^(AV) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”^(AW) ¹⁹These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.^(AX)

²⁰But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up^(AY) in your most holy faith^(AZ) and praying in the Holy Spirit,^(BA) ²¹keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait^(BB) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.^(BC)

²²Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³save others by snatching them from the fire;^(BD) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.^[f]^(BE)

Doxology

²⁴To him who is able^(BF) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence^(BG) without fault^(BH) and with great joy— ²⁵to the only God^(BI) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!^(BJ) Amen.^(BK)

Footnotes

Jude 1:1 Or by; or in
Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points.