Proverbs 21:1-16

English Standard Version

21 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
    he ^(A)turns it wherever he will.
^2 (B)Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
    but the Lord ^(C)weighs the heart.
^3 (D)To do righteousness and justice
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
^4 (E)Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
    ^(F)the lamp^[a] of the wicked, are sin.
⁵ The plans of ^(G)the diligent lead surely to abundance,
    but everyone who is ^(H)hasty comes ^(I)only to poverty.
^6 (J)The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
    is a ^(K)fleeting ^(L)vapor and a ^(M)snare of death.^[b]
7 The violence of the wicked will ^(N)sweep them away,
    because they refuse to do what is just.
⁸ The way of the guilty ^(O)is crooked,
    but the conduct of the pure is upright.
⁹ It is ^(P)better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
¹⁰ The soul of the wicked desires evil;
    his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
¹¹ When ^(Q)a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
    when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
¹² The Righteous One ^(R)observes the house of the wicked;
    he throws the wicked down to ruin.
^13 (S)Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
    will himself call out and not be answered.
^14 (T)A gift in secret averts anger,
    and a concealed bribe,^[c] strong wrath.
¹⁵ When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
    ^(U)but terror to evildoers.
¹⁶ One who wanders from the way of good sense
    ^(V)will rest in the assembly of the dead.