Proverbs 16
English Standard Version
16 The plans of the heart belong to man,
but (A)the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 (B)All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord (C)weighs the spirit.[a]
3 (D)Commit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
4 (E)The Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even (F)the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is (G)an abomination to the Lord;
(H)be assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By (I)steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by (J)the fear of the Lord one (K)turns away from evil.
7 When a man's ways please the Lord,
(L)he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 (M)Better is a little with righteousness
than great revenues with injustice.
9 (N)The heart of man plans his way,
but (O)the Lord establishes his steps.
10 (P)An oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 (Q)A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for (R)the throne is established by righteousness.
13 (S)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 (T)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will (U)appease it.
15 (V)In the light of a king's face there is life,
and his (W)favor is like (X)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
16 (Y)How much better to get wisdom than (Z)gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than (AA)silver.
17 The highway of the upright (AB)turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18 (AC)Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 (AD)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to (AE)divide the spoil with the proud.
20 Whoever gives thought to the word[b] (AF)will discover good,
and blessed is he (AG)who trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise of heart is called discerning,
and sweetness of speech (AH)increases persuasiveness.
22 Good sense is (AI)a fountain of life to him who has it,
but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 (AJ)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 (AK)Gracious words are like (AL)a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and (AM)health to the body.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.[c]
26 A worker's appetite works for him;
his (AN)mouth urges him on.
27 (AO)A worthless man plots evil,
and his speech[d] is like (AP)a scorching fire.
28 (AQ)A dishonest man spreads strife,
and (AR)a whisperer (AS)separates close friends.
29 A man of violence (AT)entices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eyes plans[e] (AU)dishonest things;
he who (AV)purses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 (AW)Gray hair is (AX)a crown of glory;
it (AY)is gained in a righteous life.
32 (AZ)Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 (BA)The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is (BB)from the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:2 Or spirits
- Proverbs 16:20 Or to a matter
- Proverbs 16:25 Hebrew ways of death
- Proverbs 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips
- Proverbs 16:30 Hebrew to plan
Mishle 16
Orthodox Jewish Bible
16 The plans of the lev belong to adam, and the answer of the lashon is from Hashem.
2 All the drakhei ish are pure in his own eynayim, but Hashem weigheth the ruchot.
3 Commit thy ma’asim (works) unto Hashem, and thy plans shall be established.
4 Hashem works out all things for Himself, indeed, even the rasha (wicked) for the Yom Ra’ah (day of evil).
5 Every one that is proud in lev is to’evat Hashem; though yad join in yad, he shall not go unpunished.
6 By chesed and emes avon is purged, and by the Yirat Hashem men depart from rah.
7 When drakhei ish please Hashem, He maketh even his oyevim to be in shalom with him.
8 Better is a little with tzedakah than great revenues without mishpat (justice).
9 The lev adam plans his derech, but Hashem directeth his steps.
10 A kesem (oracle) is on the sfatayim (lips) of Melech, his peh (mouth) must not betray mishpat.
11 A just weight and balance are Hashem’s, all the weights of the bag are His concern.
12 It is to’evat melachim to commit resha (wickedness), for the kisse is established through tzedakah.
13 Sfatayim (lips) of tzedek are the delight of melachim; and they love him that speaketh yesharim (upright things).
14 The wrath of a melech is as malachim of mavet, but an ish chacham will appease it.
15 In the light of the countenance of melech is chayyim, and his favor is like the cloud of a spring rain.
16 How much better is it to acquire chochmah than zahav, and acquiring binah (understanding) a better choice than kesef!
17 The mesilat yesharim (highway of the upright) is to depart from rah; he that guards his derech is shomer over his nefesh (soul).
18 Ga’on (pride) goeth before shever (destruction), and a ruach of haughtiness before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of a humble ruach among the anayim, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20 He that wisely heeds the Davar shall find tov (good), and he who trusteth in Hashem, happy is he.
21 The chacham lev shall be called prudent, and the sweetness of the sfatayim (lips) adds to learning.
22 Seichel is a Makor Chayyim unto him that hath it, but the musar (instruction, discipline) of fools is folly.
23 The lev chacham guides his peh (mouth), and addeth learning to his sfatayim (lips).
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the nefesh, and marpeh (healing) to the atzmot (bones).
25 There is a derech that seemeth yashar (right) before an ish, but its acharit (future, latter end) is the drakhei mavet.
26 The nefesh (appetite) of the laborer works for him, for his peh (mouth) of hunger driveth him on.
27 An ish Beliya’al diggeth up ra’ah, and in his sfatayim (lips) there is as a scorching eish.
28 A perverse ish soweth madon (strife, dissension), and a whisperer separateth close friends.
29 An ish chamas enticeth his re’a, and leadeth him into the derech that is not good.
30 He winking his eynayim to plot perverse things, compressing his sfatayim (lips), bringeth ra’ah to pass.
31 The silvery hair is an ateret tiferet; it is found in the derech tzedakah.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the gibbor; and he that ruleth his ruach than he that captures a city.
33 The goral is cast into the kheyk (lap), but the whole decision thereof is from Hashem.
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