16 心中的策划在于人,
    应对之言来自耶和华。
人看自己的行为都纯全,
    但是耶和华却衡量人心。
把你的事交托耶和华,
    你的计划必实现。
耶和华所造的万物各有其用,
    连恶人也是为灾难之日所造。
耶和华厌恶心骄气傲者,
    他们必逃不过祂的责罚。
慈爱和忠信可让罪恶得赎,
    敬畏耶和华使人远离罪恶。
人所行的若蒙耶和华喜悦,
    耶和华必使仇敌与他和好。
财物虽少但行事公义,
    胜过家财万贯却不公义。
人心中筹划自己的道路,
    但耶和华决定他的脚步。
10 王口中有上帝的话,
    断案时必无差错。
11 公道的秤与天平属于耶和华,
    袋中一切的砝码由祂制定。
12 君王憎恨恶行,
    因王位靠公义而立。
13 王喜爱公义的言词,
    器重说话正直的人。
14 王的烈怒如死亡使者,
    然而智者能平息王怒。
15 王的笑容带给人生命,
    他的恩惠像春雨之云。
16 得智慧胜过得黄金,
    获悟性胜过获白银。
17 正直人的大道远离罪恶,
    坚守正道的保全性命。
18 骄横是沦亡的前奏,
    狂傲是败落的预兆。
19 宁可谦卑地与贫寒人相处,
    也不跟狂傲人共享战利品。
20 听从训言的人受益匪浅,
    信靠耶和华的人蒙祝福。
21 智者以明辨著称,
    甜言能说服人心。
22 智慧是智者的生命泉,
    愚昧为愚人带来惩罚。
23 智者三思而后言,
    其言使人长见识。
24 良言如蜜,
    使人心灵甘甜、身体康健。
25 有一条路看似正确,
    最终却通向死亡。
26 工人的胃口促他工作,
    口腹之需是他的动力。
27 不务正业的人图谋恶事,
    他的口舌如烈焰般危险。
28 邪僻的人散播纷争,
    造谣的人破坏友情。
29 残暴之徒引诱邻舍走入歧途。
30 恶人眯起眼睛图谋不轨,
    歹徒咬着嘴唇策划恶事。
31 白发是荣耀的冠冕,
    行为公义方能得到。
32 不轻易发怒者胜过勇士,
    能自我控制胜过攻陷城池。
33 人可以摇签求问,
    但耶和华决定一切。

17 粗茶淡饭但相安无事,
    胜过佳肴满桌却勾心斗角。
精明的仆人必管辖主人的不肖子,
    并与他们一同承受家业。
鼎炼银,炉炼金,
    耶和华试炼人心。
作恶者留心听恶言,
    说谎者侧耳听坏话。
嘲笑穷人等于侮辱造物主,
    幸灾乐祸的人必难逃惩罚。
子孙是老人的华冠,
    父母是儿女的荣耀。
愚人高谈阔论不相称,
    统治者说谎更不合适。
行贿者视贿赂为法宝,
    可以使他无往不利。
饶恕过犯,促进友爱;
    重提旧恨,破坏友情。
10 责备哲士一句,
    胜过杖打愚人百下。
11 恶人一心反叛,
    残忍的使者必奉命来惩罚他。
12 宁愿遇见丢失幼崽的母熊,
    也不愿碰上做蠢事的愚人。
13 人若以恶报善,
    家里必祸患不断。
14 争端爆发如洪水决堤,
    当在爆发前将其制止。
15 放过罪人、冤枉义人,
    都为耶和华所憎恶。
16 愚人无心求智慧,
    手中有钱有何用?
17 朋友时时彼此关爱,
    手足生来患难与共。
18 无知的人才会为他人作保。
19 喜爱争斗的喜爱犯罪,
    骄傲自大的自招灭亡。
20 心术不正,难觅幸福;
    口吐谎言,陷入祸患。
21 生愚昧子带来忧伤,
    愚人之父毫无喜乐。
22 喜乐的心乃是良药,
    忧伤的灵使骨枯干。
23 恶人暗中收受贿赂,
    颠倒是非。
24 哲士追求智慧,
    愚人漫无目标。
25 愚昧的孩子令父亲忧虑,让母亲苦恼。
26 责罚义人不妥,
    杖责君子不义。
27 谨言慎行的有知识,
    温和冷静的有悟性。
28 愚人缄默可算为智慧,
    闭口不言可算为明智。

18 孤傲者独善其身,
    他恼恨一切真知。
愚人不喜欢悟性,
    只喜欢发表意见。
邪恶与藐视同行,
    无耻与羞辱为伴。
人口中的话如同深水,
    智慧之泉像涓涓溪流。
袒护恶人、冤枉义人都为不善。
愚人说话引起纷争,
    他的口招来鞭打。
愚人的口自招灭亡,
    他的嘴坑害他自己。
闲言碎语如同美食,
    深入人的五脏六腑。
懒惰人与毁坏者臭味相投。
10 耶和华的名是坚固保障,
    义人投奔其中就得安稳。
11 财富是富人的坚城,
    在他幻想中是高墙。
12 骄傲是败亡的前奏,
    谦虚是尊荣的先锋。
13 未听先答的人,
    自显愚昧和羞辱。
14 人的心灵能忍受疾病,
    谁能忍受破碎的心灵?
15 哲士的心得知识,
    智者的耳求知识。
16 礼物为人开路,
    领人晋见权贵。
17 先告状的看似有理,
    一经对质真相大白。
18 抽签可以平息争端,
    调解强者间的纠纷。
19 与结怨的兄弟和解比攻城还难,
    争端难破,如坚城的门闩。
20 人因口中所说的话而饱足,
    因嘴中所出的言语而满足。
21 口舌能够定生死,
    多嘴多言食恶果。
22 得到妻子就是得到珍宝,
    也是蒙了耶和华的恩惠。
23 穷人哀声恳求,
    富人恶言相向。
24 滥交友,自招损;
    得知己,胜手足。

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;(AU)
    it is attained in the way of righteousness.

32 Better a patient person than a warrior,
    one with self-control than one who takes a city.

33 The lot is cast(AV) into the lap,
    but its every decision(AW) is from the Lord.(AX)

17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
    than a house full of feasting, with strife.(AY)

A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,(AZ)
    but the Lord tests the heart.(BA)

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Whoever mocks the poor(BB) shows contempt for their Maker;(BC)
    whoever gloats over disaster(BD) will not go unpunished.(BE)

Children’s children(BF) are a crown to the aged,
    and parents are the pride of their children.

Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
    how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(BG)

A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.(BH)

Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(BI)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(BJ)

10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
    more than a hundred lashes a fool.

11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
    the messenger of death will be sent against them.

12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.(BK)

13 Evil will never leave the house
    of one who pays back evil(BL) for good.(BM)

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(BN)

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent(BO)
    the Lord detests them both.(BP)

16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?(BQ)

17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(BR)

18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
    and puts up security for a neighbor.(BS)

19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
    one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
    there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(BT)

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed(BU) spirit dries up the bones.(BV)

23 The wicked accept bribes(BW) in secret
    to pervert the course of justice.(BX)

24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes(BY) wander to the ends of the earth.

25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(BZ)

26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(CA)
    surely to flog honest officials is not right.

27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(CB)
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(CC)

28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.(CD)

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.(CE)

When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
    and with shame comes reproach.

The words of the mouth are deep waters,(CF)
    but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.

It is not good to be partial to the wicked(CG)
    and so deprive the innocent of justice.(CH)

The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.(CI)

The mouths of fools are their undoing,
    and their lips are a snare(CJ) to their very lives.(CK)

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(CL)

One who is slack in his work
    is brother to one who destroys.(CM)

10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower;(CN)
    the righteous run to it and are safe.(CO)

11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(CP)
    they imagine it a wall too high to scale.

12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
    but humility comes before honor.(CQ)

13 To answer before listening—
    that is folly and shame.(CR)

14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
    but a crushed spirit who can bear?(CS)

15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(CT)
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

16 A gift(CU) opens the way
    and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.

17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
    until someone comes forward and cross-examines.

18 Casting the lot settles disputes(CV)
    and keeps strong opponents apart.

19 A brother wronged(CW) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
    disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
    with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(CX)

21 The tongue has the power of life and death,(CY)
    and those who love it will eat its fruit.(CZ)

22 He who finds a wife finds what is good(DA)
    and receives favor from the Lord.(DB)

23 The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(DC)

Footnotes

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