Proverbs 16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 16
1 Plans are made in human hearts,
but from the Lord comes the tongue’s response.[a]
2 All one’s ways are pure[b] in one’s own eyes,
but the measurer of motives is the Lord.(A)
3 Entrust your works to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for a purpose,
even the wicked for the evil day.[c]
5 Every proud heart[d] is an abomination to the Lord;(B)
be assured that none will go unpunished.
6 By steadfast loyalty guilt is expiated,
and by the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.[e]
7 When the Lord is pleased with someone’s ways,
he makes even enemies be at peace with them.
8 Better a little with justice,
than a large income with injustice.
9 The human heart plans the way,
but the Lord directs the steps.[f](C)
10 An oracle is upon the king’s lips,
no judgment of his mouth is false.[g]
11 Balance and scales belong to the Lord;
every weight in the sack is his concern.(D)
12 Wrongdoing is an abomination to kings,
for by justice the throne endures.(E)
13 The king takes delight in honest lips,
and whoever speaks what is right he loves.(F)
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,(G)
but a wise person can pacify it.
15 A king’s smile means life,
and his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.[h]
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is preferable to silver.[i](H)
17 The path of the upright leads away from misfortune;
those who attend to their way guard their lives.[j]
18 Pride goes before disaster,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be humble with the poor
than to share plunder with the proud.(I)
20 Whoever ponders a matter will be successful;
happy the one who trusts in the Lord!
21 The wise of heart is esteemed for discernment,
and pleasing speech gains a reputation for learning.
22 Good sense is a fountain of life to those who have it,
but folly is the training of fools.
23 The heart of the wise makes for eloquent speech,
and increases the learning on their lips.
24 Pleasing words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the taste and invigorating to the bones.
25 Sometimes a way seems right,
but the end of it leads to death!(J)
26 The appetite of workers works for them,
for their mouths urge them on.[k](K)
27 Scoundrels are a furnace of evil,
and their lips are like a scorching fire.
28 Perverse speech sows discord,
and talebearing separates bosom friends.(L)
29 The violent deceive their neighbors,
and lead them into a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks an eye plans perversity;
whoever purses the lips does evil.[l]
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;(M)
it is gained by a life that is just.
32 The patient are better than warriors,
and those who rule their temper, better than the conqueror of a city.(N)
33 Into the bag the lot is cast,
but from the Lord comes every decision.[m]
Footnotes
- 16:1 Words, like actions, often produce results different from those which were planned, and this comes under the agency of God.
- 16:2 “Pure” in a moral sense for human action is found only in Job and Proverbs. As in v. 1, the contrast is between human intent and divine assessment.
- 16:4 Even the wicked do not lie outside God’s plan.
- 16:5 Proud heart: lit., “high of heart.” To forget one is a fallible human being is so basic an error that one cannot escape exposure and punishment.
- 16:6 As v. 5 used the language of worship to express what is acceptable or not to God, so this saying uses similar language to declare that lovingly loyal conduct undoes the effects of sin.
- 16:9 As in vv. 1–3, the antithesis is between human plans and divine disposal. The saying uses the familiar metaphor of path for the course of life.
- 16:10 Six sayings on the king and his divine authority begin here, following the series of sayings about the Lord’s governance in 15:33–16:9, in which “Lord” was mentioned nine times.
- 16:15 The last of six sayings about the king. In the previous verse, royal wrath means death; in this verse royal favor means life. It is significant that royal favor is compared to something not under human control—the clouds preceding the spring rains.
- 16:16 The point of comparison is the superiority of the pursuit of wisdom and gold, not the relative merits of wealth and wisdom.
- 16:17 In the metaphor of the two ways, the way of the righteous is protected and the way of the wicked is unprotected. Since the path of the righteous leads therefore away from trouble, one’s task is to stay on it, to “attend to” it.
- 16:26 The adage puzzled ancient and modern commentators. The meaning seems to state the paradox that a person does not toil to feed the gullet but that the gullet itself “toils” in the sense that it forces the person to work. As often in Proverbs, the sense organ stands for the faculty by metonymy. Cf. Eccl 6:7.
- 16:30 A restless or twitching eye or lip betrays the condition of the heart (cf. 6:13).
- 16:33 Dice were given meanings of “yes” or “no” and then cast for their answer. What came out was the decision. Here the saying interprets the sequence of actions: a human being puts the dice in the bag but what emerges from the bag is the Lord’s decision.
Proverbs 16
EasyEnglish Bible
16 People make plans in their minds,
but the Lord gives them the right words to say.
2 You may think that everything you do is right,
but the Lord knows exactly why you are doing it.
3 Put your plans in front of the Lord,
so that what you want to do will go well.
4 The Lord causes everything to have its proper result.
Even wicked people will come to bad trouble in the end.
5 The Lord hates everyone who boasts.
Be sure of this: They will receive the punishment that they deserve.
6 If you love the Lord faithfully,
he will forgive your sins.
If you respect and obey him,
you will not do evil things.
7 If you live in a way that pleases the Lord,
even your enemies will become your friends.
8 If you do what is right but you are not rich,
that is better than to be rich because you cheat people.
9 People make plans for what they will do,
but it is the Lord who leads them in the right way.
10 A king speaks with God's authority.
He must judge people in a fair way.
11 The Lord wants people to use true weights and measures.
He knows all the weights that a trader uses.
12 Kings hate all wicked acts,
because justice makes their government strong.
13 Kings are happy to hear honest advice.
They love people who speak true words.
14 Someone may die if the king becomes angry with him.
So a wise person will try to stop the king's anger.
15 If the king smiles at you, your life will go well.
If he is pleased with you, that is like a cloud which gives rain in the spring.
16 It is better to have wisdom than gold or silver.
You should want to understand what is right.
17 Honest people follow a straight road that keeps them away from evil things.
If you want to keep your life safe, watch where you are going.
18 If you are proud, you will soon come to an end.
Anyone who boasts will soon fall down.
19 You may be humble and have poor people as your friends.
But that is better than if you have proud friends
who give you things that they have robbed from others.
20 If you listen carefully to good teaching, you will do well.
If you trust in the Lord, you are in a happy place.
21 If you have wise thoughts,
people will say that you know what is right.
If you speak kind words,
people will accept your teaching.
22 Wisdom is like a spring of fresh water that gives life to those who have it.
But the silly things that fools do brings them punishment.
23 Wise people think carefully and they speak wise words.
Then other people will accept their teaching.
24 Kind words are as sweet as honey.
They also bring health and strength.
25 You may think that you are on a good, straight road.
But in the end, that road may lead you to death.
26 When a worker feels hungry, it causes him to work more.
So it helps him to get food to eat.
27 Wicked people look for ways to hurt other people.
The cruel things that they say are like flames of fire.
28 People who tell lies cause arguments.
If you tell people's secrets, you will lose all your friends.
29 Violent people deceive their friends.
They lead their friends to do wrong things.
30 If someone sends secret messages with his eyes,
he has a plan to hurt someone.
If he squeezes his lips together,
he is ready to do an evil thing.
31 Grey hair is like a beautiful crown on your head!
People who live in a righteous way may wear it.
32 A person who is patient is better than a brave soldier.
If you can control your anger, you can win any battle.
33 People throw dice to choose what is right.
But it is the Lord who decides the answer.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.