Proverbs 16-18

Christian Standard Bible

16 The reflections of the heart belong to mankind,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.^(A)

² All a person’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs motives.^[a](B)

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)

¹⁰ God’s verdict is on the lips of a king;^[c](L)
his mouth should not give an unfair judgment.^(M)

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)

¹⁷ The highway of the upright^(S) avoids evil;
the one who guards his way protects his life.^(T)

¹⁸ Pride comes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.^(U)

¹⁹ Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble^[d](V)
than to divide plunder with the proud.^(W)

²⁰ The one who understands a matter finds success,^(X)
and the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy.^(Y)

²¹ Anyone with a wise heart is called discerning,
and pleasant speech^[e] increases learning.^(Z)

²² Insight is a fountain of life^(AA) for its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.

²³ The heart of a wise person instructs his mouth;
it adds learning to his speech.^[f](AB)

²⁴ Pleasant words are a honeycomb:^(AC)
sweet to the taste^[g] and health to the body.^[h](AD)

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)

²⁹ A violent person lures his neighbor,^(AH)
leading him on a path that is not good.^(AI)

³⁰ The one who narrows his eyes is planning deceptions;
the one who compresses his lips brings about evil.^(AJ)

³¹ Gray hair is a glorious crown;^(AK)
it is found in the ways of righteousness.^(AL)

³² Patience is better than power,
and controlling one’s emotions,^[j] than capturing a city.^(AM)

³³ The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.^(AN)

17 Better a dry crust with peace
than a house full of feasting with strife.^(AO)

² A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share an inheritance among brothers.

³ A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold,^(AP)
and the Lord is the tester of hearts.^(AQ)

⁴ A wicked person listens to malicious talk;^[k]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

⁵ The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,^(AR)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.^(AS)

⁶ Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of children is their fathers.

⁷ Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

⁸ A bribe^(AT) seems like a magic stone to its owner;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.^(AU)

⁹ Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,^(AV)
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.^(AW)

¹⁰ A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

¹¹ An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger^[l](AX) will be sent against him.

¹² Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs^(AY)
than a fool in his foolishness.

¹³ If anyone returns evil for good,^(AZ)
evil will never depart from his house.^(BA)

¹⁴ To start a conflict is to release a flood;
stop the dispute before it breaks out.^(BB)

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just^(BC)—
both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶ Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?^(BD)

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,^(BE)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

¹⁸ One without sense enters an agreement^[m]
and puts up security for his friend.^(BF)

¹⁹ One who loves to offend loves strife;^(BG)
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

²⁰ One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.^(BH)

²¹ A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.^(BI)

²² A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.^(BJ)

²³ A wicked person secretly takes a bribe^(BK)
to subvert the course of justice.^(BL)

²⁴ Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes^(BM) roam to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.^(BN)

²⁶ It is certainly not good to fine an innocent person
or to beat a noble for his honesty.^[n](BO)

²⁷ The one who has knowledge restrains his words,^(BP)
and one who keeps a cool head^[o]
is a person of understanding.

²⁸ Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent—
discerning, when he seals his lips.^(BQ)

18 One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.

² A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.^[p](BR)

³ When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
and along with dishonor, derision.

⁴ The words of a person’s mouth are deep waters,^(BS)
a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.^[q]

⁵ It is not good to show partiality to the guilty,^(BT)
denying an innocent person justice.^(BU)

⁶ A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.^(BV)

⁷ A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.^(BW)

⁸ A gossip’s words are like choice food
that goes down to one’s innermost being.^[r](BX)

⁹ The one who is lazy in his work
is brother to a vandal.^[s](BY)

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower;^(BZ)
the righteous run to it and are protected.^[t](CA)

¹¹ The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall.^(CB)

¹² Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,^(CC)
but humility comes before honor.^(CD)

¹³ The one who gives an answer before he listens—
this is foolishness and disgrace for him.^(CE)

¹⁴ A person’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit?^(CF)

¹⁵ The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks it.^(CG)

¹⁶ A person’s gift opens doors^[u] for him
and brings him before the great.^(CH)

¹⁷ The first to state his case seems right
until another comes and cross-examines him.^(CI)

¹⁸ Casting the lot^(CJ) ends quarrels
and separates powerful opponents.

¹⁹ An offended brother is harder to reach^[v]
than a fortified city,
and quarrels are like the bars of a fortress.

²⁰ From the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is filled with the product of his lips.^(CK)

²¹ Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.^(CL)

²² A man who finds a wife finds a good thing^(CM)
and obtains favor from the Lord.^(CN)

²³ The poor person pleads,^(CO)
but the rich one answers roughly.^(CP)

²⁴ One with many friends may be harmed,^[w]
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.^(CQ)