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”
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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