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Wisdom’s Blessings

16 People do the planning,[a]
but the end result[b] is from the Lord.

Everything a person does seems pure in his own opinion,
    but the Lord weighs intentions.

Entrust your work to the Lord,
    and your planning will succeed.

The Lord made everything answerable to him,
    including the wicked at the time of trouble.[c]
The Lord detests those who are proud;
    truly they will not go unpunished.

Iniquity is atoned for by gracious love and truth,
    and through fear of the Lord people[d] turn from evil.

When a person’s ways please the Lord,
    even his enemies will be at peace with him.

A little gain[e] with righteousness is better
    than great income without justice.

A person plans his way,
    but the Lord directs his steps.

10 When a king is ready to speak officially,[f]
    what he says should not err with respect to justice.
11 Honest scales and balances are from the Lord;
    he made all the weights in the bag.
12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
    for through righteousness the throne is established.
13 Kings take pleasure in righteous speech;
    they treasure a person who speaks what is upright.
14 The king’s wrath results in a death sentence,
    but whoever is wise will appease him.
15 When a king is pleased,[g] there is life,
    and his favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.

16 How much better than gaining gold is the acquisition of wisdom,
    the attainment of wisdom better than silver!

17 The road of the upright circumvents evil,
    and whoever watches how he lives[h] preserves his life.

18 Pride precedes destruction;
    an arrogant spirit appears before a fall.
19 Better to be humble among the poor,
    than to share what is stolen with the proud.

20 Whoever listens to a word of instruction prospers,
    and anyone who trusts in the Lord is blessed.

21 The wise-hearted person is told to be discerning,
    and that pleasant speech promotes instruction.
22 Anyone who has understanding is a fountain of life,
    but foolishness brings punishment to fools.

23 A wise person’s thoughts[i] control his words,
    and his speech promotes instruction.
24 Pleasant words are honey from a honeycomb—
    sweet to the soul and healing for the body.[j]

Advice to the Wise

25 There is a road that seems right for a man to travel,[k]
    but in the end it’s the road to death.

26 The appetite of the laborer motivates him;
    indeed, his hunger drives him on.

27 A worthless person concocts evil gossip[l]
    his lips are like a burning fire.

28 A deceitful man stirs dissension,
    and anyone who gossips separates friends.
29 A violent man entices his companion
    and leads him on a path that is not good.
30 Whoever winks knowingly[m] is plotting[n] deceit;
    anyone who purses his lips is bent towards evil.

31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is obtained by following[o] a righteous path.

32 Whoever controls his temper is better than a warrior,
    and anyone who has control of his spirit is better
        than someone who captures a city.

33 The dice is cast into someone’s lap,
    but the outcome is from the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:1 Lit. Preparations of the heart belong to human beings
  2. Proverbs 16:1 Or the response of the tongue
  3. Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
  4. Proverbs 16:6 The Heb. lacks people
  5. Proverbs 16:8 The Heb. lacks gain
  6. Proverbs 16:10 Lit. king speaks an oracle
  7. Proverbs 16:15 Lit. a king’s face lightens
  8. Proverbs 16:17 Lit. watches his path
  9. Proverbs 16:23 Lit. heart
  10. Proverbs 16:24 Lit. bone
  11. Proverbs 16:25 The Heb. lacks to travel
  12. Proverbs 16:27 The Heb. lacks gossip
  13. Proverbs 16:30 Lit. with his eyes
  14. Proverbs 16:30 So MT; LXX Syr Targ Vg read winks with his eyes considers
  15. Proverbs 16:31 The Heb. lacks following

16 To mortals belong the plans of the heart,
    but from Yahweh comes the answer of the tongue.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
    but Yahweh weighs the spirit.[a]
Commit your work to Yahweh,
    and your plans will be established.
All Yahweh has made is for his[b] purpose,
    and even the wicked for the day of trouble.
An abomination of Yahweh are all who are arrogant of heart;[c]
    rest assured,[d] he will not go unpunished.
By loyalty and faithfulness, iniquity will be covered over,[e]
    and by fear of Yahweh one turns[f] from evil.
When the ways of a man are pleasing to Yahweh,
    even his enemies he will cause to make peace with him.
Better is little with righteousness
    than great income with no justice.
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

  1. Proverbs 16:2 Or “breath”
  2. Proverbs 16:4 Or “its”
  3. Proverbs 16:5 Or “mind”
  4. Proverbs 16:5 Literally “hand to hand”
  5. Proverbs 16:6 Or “atoned for”
  6. Proverbs 16:6 Literally “turning”
  7. Proverbs 16:9 Literally “heart”
  8. Proverbs 16:14 Or “atone, cover over”
  9. Proverbs 16:16 Literally “what”
  10. Proverbs 16:16 Literally “from”
  11. Proverbs 16:17 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  12. Proverbs 16:18 Hebrew “a haughty of spirit”
  13. Proverbs 16:21 Or “mind”
  14. Proverbs 16:22 Or “master”
  15. Proverbs 16:22 Or “punishment”
  16. Proverbs 16:23 Or “mind”
  17. Proverbs 16:23 Or “he”
  18. Proverbs 16:25 Literally “to the face of”
  19. Proverbs 16:26 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  20. Proverbs 16:26 Literally “mouth”
  21. Proverbs 16:32 Literally “nostrils”