Proverbs 16:13-24

English Standard Version

^13 (A)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
^14 (B)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will ^(C)appease it.
^15 (D)In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his ^(E)favor is like ^(F)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
^16 (G)How much better to get wisdom than ^(H)gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^(I)silver.
¹⁷ The highway of the upright ^(J)turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.
^18 (K)Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
^19 (L)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to ^(M)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ Whoever gives thought to the word^{[a] (N)}will discover good,
    and blessed is he ^(O)who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech ^(P)increases persuasiveness.
²² Good sense is ^(Q)a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.
^23 (R)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (S)Gracious words are like ^(T)a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and ^(U)health to the body.