Proverbs 16
New King James Version
Wisdom Is Better Than Gold
16 The (A)preparations[a] of the heart belong to man,
(B)But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own (C)eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.
5 (G)Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join [d]forces, none will go unpunished.
6 (H)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And (I)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 (J)Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.
10 Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 (M)Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His [e]work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For (N)a throne is established by righteousness.
13 (O)Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will (P)appease it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a (Q)cloud of the latter rain.
16 (R)How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before [f]a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [g]spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever (S)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of (T)death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives (U)him on.
27 [h]An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning (V)fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
And (W)a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He [i]purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 (X)The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 (Y)He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:1 plans
- Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll
- Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
- Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand
- Proverbs 16:11 concern
- Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
- Proverbs 16:19 plunder
- Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial
- Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses
Proverbs 16
Names of God Bible
Wisdom’s Blessings Come from the Lord
16 The plans of the heart belong to humans,
but an answer on the tongue comes from Yahweh.
2 A person thinks all his ways are pure,
but Yahweh weighs motives.
3 Entrust your efforts to Yahweh,
and your plans will succeed.
4 Yahweh has made everything for his own purpose,
even wicked people for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone with a conceited heart is disgusting to Yahweh.
Certainly, such a person will not go unpunished.
6 By mercy and faithfulness, peace is made with the Lord.
By the fear of Yahweh, evil is avoided.
7 When a person’s ways are pleasing to Yahweh,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better a few possessions gained honestly
than many gained through injustice.
9 A person may plan his own journey,
but Yahweh directs his steps.
10 When a divine revelation is on a king’s lips,
he cannot voice a wrong judgment.
11 Honest balances and scales belong to Yahweh.
He made the entire set of weights.
12 Wrongdoing is disgusting to kings
because a throne is established through righteousness.
13 Kings are happy with honest words,
and whoever speaks what is right is loved.
14 A king’s anger announces death,
but a wise man makes peace with him.
15 When the king is cheerful, there is life,
and his favor is like a cloud bringing spring rain.
16 How much better it is to gain wisdom than gold,
and the gaining of understanding should be chosen over silver.
17 The highway of decent people turns away from evil.
Whoever watches his way preserves his own life.
18 Pride precedes a disaster,
and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.
19 Better to be humble with lowly people
than to share stolen goods with arrogant people.
20 Whoever gives attention to the Lord’s word prospers,
and blessed is the person who trusts Yahweh.
21 The person who is truly wise is called understanding,
and speaking sweetly helps others learn.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it,
but stubborn fools punish themselves with their stupidity.
23 A wise person’s heart controls his speech,
and what he says helps others learn.
24 Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb—
sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.
Words of Advice to a Wise Son
25 There is a way that seems right to a person,
but eventually it ends in death.
26 A laborer’s appetite works to his advantage,
because his hunger drives him on.
27 A worthless person plots trouble,
and his speech is like a burning fire.
28 A devious person spreads quarrels.
A gossip separates the closest of friends.
29 A violent person misleads his neighbor
and leads him on a path that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eye is plotting something devious.
Whoever bites his lips has finished his evil work.
31 Silver hair is a beautiful crown found in a righteous life.
32 Better to get angry slowly than to be a hero.
Better to be even-tempered than to capture a city.
33 The dice are thrown,
but Yahweh determines every outcome.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.