Proverbs 16
New King James Version
Wisdom Is Better Than Gold
16 The (A)preparations[a] of the heart belong to man,
(B)But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own (C)eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.
5 (G)Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join [d]forces, none will go unpunished.
6 (H)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And (I)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 (J)Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.
10 Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 (M)Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His [e]work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For (N)a throne is established by righteousness.
13 (O)Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will (P)appease it.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a (Q)cloud of the latter rain.
16 (R)How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before [f]a fall.
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the [g]spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever (S)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of (T)death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives (U)him on.
27 [h]An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning (V)fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
And (W)a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He [i]purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 (X)The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 (Y)He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:1 plans
- Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll
- Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
- Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand
- Proverbs 16:11 concern
- Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
- Proverbs 16:19 plunder
- Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial
- Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses
Proverbs 16
Christian Standard Bible
16 The reflections of the heart belong to mankind,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.(A)
3 Commit your activities to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.(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 Iniquity is atoned for by loyalty and faithfulness,(G)
and one turns from evil by the fear of the Lord.(H)
7 When a person’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.(I)
8 Better a little with righteousness
than great income with injustice.(J)
9 A person’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord determines his steps.(K)
11 Honest balances and scales are the Lord’s;
all the weights in the bag are his concern.(N)
12 Wicked behavior 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 person 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 person,
but its end is the way to death.(AE)
26 A worker’s appetite works for him
because his hunger[i] urges him on.
27 A worthless person digs up evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.(AF)
28 A contrary person 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)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.