Proverbs 16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
16 The reflections of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.(A)
3 Commit your activities to the Lord,
and your plans will be achieved.(C)
4 The Lord has prepared everything for His purpose—
even the wicked for the day of disaster.(D)
5 Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord;(E)
be assured,[b] he will not go unpunished.(F)
6 Wickedness is atoned for by loyalty and faithfulness,(G)
and one turns from evil by the fear of the Lord.(H)
8 Better a little with righteousness
than great income with injustice.(J)
9 A man’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord determines his steps.(K)
12 Wicked behavior[f] is detestable to kings,(O)
since a throne is established through righteousness.(P)
13 Righteous lips are a king’s delight,
and he loves one who speaks honestly.
14 A king’s fury is a messenger of death,
but a wise man appeases it.(Q)
15 When a king’s face lights up, there is life;
his favor is like a cloud with spring rain.
16 Get wisdom—
how much better it is than gold!
And get understanding—
it is preferable to silver.(R)
18 Pride comes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.(U)
20 The one who understands a matter finds success,(X)
and the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.(Y)
22 Insight is a fountain of life(AA) for its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.(AE)
26 A worker’s appetite works for him
because his hunger[l] urges him on.
27 A worthless man digs up evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.(AF)
28 A contrary man spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.(AG)
30 The one who narrows his eyes is planning deceptions;
the one who compresses his lips brings about evil.(AJ)
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.(AN)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:2 Lit weighs spirits
- Proverbs 16:5 Lit hand to hand
- Proverbs 16:7 Or he
- Proverbs 16:10 Or A divination is on the lips of a king
- Proverbs 16:11 Merchants kept the stones for their scales in a bag.
- Proverbs 16:12 Either the king’s or someone else’s behavior
- Proverbs 16:19 Alt Hb tradition reads afflicted
- Proverbs 16:21 Lit and sweetness of lips
- Proverbs 16:23 Lit learning upon his lips
- Proverbs 16:24 Lit throat
- Proverbs 16:24 Lit bones
- Proverbs 16:26 Lit mouth
- Proverbs 16:32 Lit and ruling over one’s spirit
Proverbs 16
Common English Bible
16 To people belong the plans of the heart,
but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.
2 All the ways of people
are pure in their eyes,
but the Lord tests the motives.
3 Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord made everything for a purpose,
even the wicked for an evil day.
5 The Lord detests all who are arrogant;
they surely won’t go unpunished.
6 Love and faithfulness reconcile guilt;
the fear of the Lord turns away evil.
7 When people draw favor from the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
8 Better a little with righteousness
than great profits without justice.
9 People plan their path,
but the Lord secures their steps.
10 A king’s speech is like an oracle;
in a judgment, one can’t go against his words.
11 Honest balances and scales are the Lord’s;
all the weights in the bag are his doing.
12 Kings detest wicked deeds,
for their thrones are founded on righteousness.
13 Kings favor those with righteous lips;
they love words of integrity.
14 The king’s anger is a messenger of death;
the wise will calm him.
15 There’s life in the light of the king’s face.
His favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.
16 Acquiring wisdom is much better than gold,
and acquiring understanding is better than silver.
17 The road of those who do right turns away from evil;
those who protect their path guard their lives.
18 Pride comes before disaster,
and arrogance before a fall.
19 Better to be humble with the needy
than to divide plunder with the proud.
20 Those with insight find prosperity;
those who trust the Lord are blessed.
21 The skilled mind is called discerning,
and pleasant speech enhances teaching.
22 One who has insight is a fountain of life,
but the instruction of the foolish is folly.
23 The mind of the wise makes their speech insightful
and enhances the teaching of their lips.
24 Pleasant words are flowing honey,
sweet to the taste and healing to the bones.
25 There is a path that may seem straight to someone,
but in the end it is the path of death.
26 The appetite of workers labors for them,
for their hunger presses them on.
27 Worthless people dig up trouble;
their lips are like a scorching fire.
28 Destructive people produce conflict;
gossips alienate close friends.
29 Violent people entice their neighbors
and walk them down a path that isn’t good.
30 Those who wink their eye plot destruction;
those who purse their lips plan evil.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is found on the path of righteousness.
32 Better to be patient than a warrior,
and better to have self-control than to capture a city.
33 The dice are cast into the lap;
all decisions are from the Lord.
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Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible