Proverbs 21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
21 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
2 All deeds are right in the sight of the doer,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(A)
3 To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(B)
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the lamp of the wicked—are sin.(C)
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.(D)
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare[a] of death.(E)
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away
because they refuse to do what is just.(F)
8 The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is right.
9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a contentious wife.(G)
10 The souls of the wicked desire evil;
their neighbors find no mercy in their eyes.(H)
11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser;
when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge.(I)
12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
he casts the wicked down to ruin.(J)
13 If you close your ear to the cry of the poor,
you will cry out and not be heard.(K)
14 A gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe, strong wrath.(L)
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
but dismay to evildoers.
16 Whoever wanders from the way of understanding
will rest in the assembly of the dead.(M)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;
whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous
and the faithless for the upright.(N)
19 It is better to live in a desert land
than with a contentious and fretful wife.
20 Precious treasure remains[b] in the house of the wise,
but the fool devours it.(O)
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life[c] and honor.(P)
22 One wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted.(Q)
23 To watch over mouth and tongue
is to keep out of trouble.(R)
24 The proud, haughty person, named Scoffer,
acts with arrogant pride.(S)
25 The craving of the lazy person is fatal,
for lazy hands refuse to labor.(T)
26 All day long the wicked covet,[d]
but the righteous give and do not hold back.(U)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when brought with evil intent.(V)
28 A false witness will perish,
but a good listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put on a bold face,
but the upright give thought to[e] their ways.(W)
30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.(X)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.(Y)
Proverbs 21
Evangelical Heritage Version
Wise and Foolish Behaviors
21 A king’s heart is like streams of water in the hand of the Lord.
He directs it wherever he desires.
2 In a person’s own eyes all his ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the motives of the heart.
3 Practicing righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than a sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and an arrogant heart,
the unplowed field[a] of the wicked, produce sin.
5 The plans of a hard worker lead to abundance,
but everyone in a hurry rushes toward scarcity.
6 Piling up treasure by a lying tongue
is a vanishing vapor for those who seek death.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 A guilty person’s way is very crooked,
but the conduct of a pure person is straight.
9 Better to live on the corner of a roof
than in a house shared with a nagging wife.
10 The soul of a wicked person craves evil.
He does not look on his neighbor with mercy.
11 When a scoffer is punished, an undisciplined person becomes wise,
and when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One[b] carefully watches the house of the wicked.
He throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 Whoever shuts his ear to the cries of the poor—
he too will cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe slipped into the pocket soothes fury.
15 It is a joy for a righteous person to practice justice,
but destruction waits for those who practice evil.
16 A person who wanders from the way of understanding
will rest in the company of departed spirits.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be poor.
Whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the treacherous make a payment for the upright.
19 Better to live in an arid region
than with a nagging, ill-tempered wife.
20 Good food and olive oil are stored up in the dwellings of the wise,
but a foolish person devours everything he has.
21 A person who pursues righteousness and mercy
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man can climb up to a city full of warriors
and pull down the strong defenses in which they trust.
23 The person who guards his mouth and his tongue
guards himself from troubles.
24 The contemptuous, insolent person—“Scoffer” is his name—
behaves with overflowing arrogance.
25 A lazy person’s craving will kill him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves something more,
but a righteous person gives and does not hold back.
27 A sacrifice offered by wicked people is an abomination.[c]
How much more when they bring it with evil intent!
28 A lying witness will perish,
but a man who listens will keep speaking forever.[d]
29 A wicked person puts on a bold front,
but an upright person gives thought to[e] his way.
30 There is no wisdom, no cleverness, and no advice
that can stand up against the Lord.
31 A horse is made ready for a day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:4 Or lamp. The meaning of the word and the point of comparison are unclear.
- Proverbs 21:12 Or righteous one
- Proverbs 21:27 Or a disgusting thing
- Proverbs 21:28 The line is cryptic. Another suggestion is one who listens to him will perish forever.
- Proverbs 21:29 The translation follows an alternate Hebrew reading. The main Hebrew reading is establishes.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.