Proverbs 16
Evangelical Heritage Version
More Advice for a Wise Son
16 A person may have thought things through in his heart,
but an apt answer from his tongue comes from the Lord.
2 All of a person’s ways are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs motives.
3 Commit what you do to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
4 The Lord has made everything for his[a] own purpose,
even a wicked person for a day of trouble.
5 Anyone with an arrogant attitude is disgusting to the Lord.
Be sure of this: That person will not go unpunished.
6 Through mercy and truth, guilt is atoned for,
and through the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.
7 When the Lord is pleased with a man’s ways,
he causes even his enemies to live at peace with him.
Wisdom for a King and His Subjects
8 Better a little with righteousness
than a large income without justice.
9 A person’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord makes his steps secure.
10 The king’s lips speak for God,
so his mouth should not betray justice.
11 An accurate balance and scales belong to the Lord.
He has made all the weights in the bag.
12 It is disgusting for kings to commit wickedness,
because a throne is established by righteousness.
13 Kings approve of righteous lips.
They love a person who speaks upright things.
14 The king’s anger is a messenger of death,
but a wise person can appease it.
15 There is life in the light from a king’s face,
and his favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.
16 How much better to acquire wisdom rather than gold,
and to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.
17 The highway followed by upright people turns away from evil.
The person who guards his way preserves his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit precedes a fall.
19 Better to share a humble spirit with the oppressed
than to share stolen goods with the haughty.
20 Whoever gives careful consideration to a matter[b] will succeed,
and the person who trusts the Lord will be blessed.
21 A wise heart will be called discerning,
and appealing speech increases learning.
22 Good sense is a fountain of life for the person who possesses it,
but the instruction given by stubborn fools is stupidity.
23 A wise heart produces edifying speech.
It makes a person’s lips more persuasive.
24 Pleasant speech is honey from a honeycomb,
sweet to the spirit and healing for the bones.
Advice for a Wise Son
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but it ends up being the road to death.
26 A laborer’s appetite labors for him,
because the hunger of his mouth drives him on.
27 A worthless scoundrel constantly plots evil,
and from his lips comes a scorching fire.
28 A perverse[c] man spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates intimate friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor.
He leads him on a way that is not good.
30 A person who squints his eyes is plotting something perverse.
One who purses his lips has completed some evil plot.
31 Gray hair is a beautiful crown.
It is found on the way to righteousness.
32 Better to be patient than to be a hero,
better to control your temper than to capture a city.
33 Lots are cast into the pouch,[d]
but the Lord determines all their decisions.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:4 Or its
- Proverbs 16:20 Or to a word or to God’s word
- Proverbs 16:28 Or twisted
- Proverbs 16:33 Or lap. It is not clear what this line means. It may allude to the pouch containing the Urim and Thummim, which the high priest wore on his chest.
Proverbs 16
Lexham English Bible
16 To mortals belong the plans of the heart,
but from Yahweh comes the answer of the tongue.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs the spirit.[a]
3 Commit your work to Yahweh,
and your plans will be established.
4 All Yahweh has made is for his[b] purpose,
and even the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 An abomination of Yahweh are all who are arrogant of heart;[c]
rest assured,[d] he will not go unpunished.
6 By loyalty and faithfulness, iniquity will be covered over,[e]
and by fear of Yahweh one turns[f] from evil.
7 When the ways of a man are pleasing to Yahweh,
even his enemies he will cause to make peace with him.
8 Better is little with righteousness
than great income with no justice.
9 The mind[g] of a person will plan his ways,
and Yahweh will direct his steps.
10 A decision is upon the lips of a king;
in judgment his mouth will not sin.
11 A balance and scales of justice belong to Yahweh;
all the weights of the bag are his work.
12 An abomination to kings is doing evil,
for by righteousness the throne will be established.
13 The delight of kings are the lips of righteousness,
and he who speaks what is upright he will love.
14 The wrath of a king is a messenger of death,
but one who is wise will appease[h] it.
15 In the light of the face of the king there is life,
and his favor is like a cloud of spring rain.
16 Getting wisdom: how much[i] better than gold!
And getting understanding: it is chosen over[j] silver.
17 The highway of the upright, it turns from evil,
he who guards himself[k] keeps his way.
18 Before destruction comes pride,
and before a fall, a haughty spirit.[l]
19 Better a lowly spirit with the poor
than dividing the spoil with the proud.
20 He who is attentive to a matter will find goodness,
and he who trusts in Yahweh, his own happiness.
21 The wise of heart[m] is called perceptive,
but he who is pleasant of lips will increase persuasiveness.
22 A fountain of life is wisdom for its owner,[n]
but the instruction[o] of fools is folly.
23 The heart[p] of the wise will make his mouth judicious,
and upon his lips, it[q] will add persuasiveness.
24 Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems upright to[r] a man,
but its end is the way of death.
26 The life[s] of a worker works for him,
for his hunger[t] urges him.
27 A man of wickedness concocts evil,
and his lips are like a scorching fire.
28 A person of perversity will spread dissent,
and he who whispers separates a close friend.
29 A person of violence will entice his neighbor
and cause him to walk on a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so in order to plan perverse things;
he who purses his lips will bring evil to pass.
31 A crown of glory is gray hair;
by a righteous life it is gained.
32 He who is slow to anger[u] is better than him who is mighty,
and he who controls his spirit than him who captures a city.
33 The lot will be cast into the lap,
but all of its decisions are from Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:2 Or “breath”
- Proverbs 16:4 Or “its”
- Proverbs 16:5 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 16:5 Literally “hand to hand”
- Proverbs 16:6 Or “atoned for”
- Proverbs 16:6 Literally “turning”
- Proverbs 16:9 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 16:14 Or “atone, cover over”
- Proverbs 16:16 Literally “what”
- Proverbs 16:16 Literally “from”
- Proverbs 16:17 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 16:18 Hebrew “a haughty of spirit”
- Proverbs 16:21 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 16:22 Or “master”
- Proverbs 16:22 Or “punishment”
- Proverbs 16:23 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 16:23 Or “he”
- Proverbs 16:25 Literally “to the face of”
- Proverbs 16:26 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 16:26 Literally “mouth”
- Proverbs 16:32 Literally “nostrils”
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