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
21st Century King James Version
16 The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth his spirit.
3 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
4 The Lord hath made all things for Himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join hands, they shall not go unpunished.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
7 When man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without righteousness.
9 A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his steps.
10 A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
11 A just weight and balance are the Lord’S; all the weights of the bag are His work.
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him that speaketh right.
14 The wrath of a king is as a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of the king’s countenance there is life, and his favor is as a cloud of latter rain.
16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver!
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it, but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There are ways which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
26 He that laboreth, laboreth for himself, for his mouth craveth it of him.
27 A froward man diggeth up evil, and on his lips there is a burning fire.
28 A froward man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth closest friends.
29 A violent man enticeth his neighbor and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things; moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.