Proverbs 16
Good News Translation
16 We may make our plans, but God has the last word.[a]
2 You may think everything you do is right, but the Lord judges your motives.
3 Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out.
4 Everything the Lord has made has its destiny; and the destiny of the wicked is destruction.
5 The Lord hates everyone who is arrogant; he will never let them escape punishment.
6 (A)Be loyal and faithful, and God will forgive your sin. Obey the Lord and nothing evil will happen to you.
7 When you please the Lord, you can make[b] your enemies into friends.
8 (B)It is better to have a little, honestly earned, than to have a large income, dishonestly gained.
9 You may make your plans, but God directs your actions.
10 The king speaks with divine authority; his decisions are always right.
11 The Lord wants weights and measures to be honest and every sale to be fair.
12 Kings cannot tolerate evil,[c] because justice is what makes a government strong.
13 A king wants to hear the truth and will favor those who speak it.
14 A wise person will try to keep the king happy; if the king becomes angry, someone may die.
15 The king's favor is like the clouds that bring rain in the springtime—life is there.
16 It is better—much better—to have wisdom and knowledge than gold and silver.
17 Those who are good travel a road that avoids evil; so watch where you are going—it may save your life.
18 Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall.
19 It is better to be humble and stay poor than to be one of the arrogant and get a share of their loot.
20 Pay attention to what you are taught, and you will be successful; trust in the Lord and you will be happy.
21 A wise, mature person is known for his understanding. The more pleasant his words, the more persuasive he is.
22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to the wise, but trying to educate stupid people is a waste of time.
23 Intelligent people think before they speak; what they say is then more persuasive.
24 Kind words are like honey—sweet to the taste and good for your health.
25 (C)What you think is the right road may lead to death.
26 A laborer's appetite makes him work harder, because he wants to satisfy his hunger.
27 Evil people look for ways to harm others; even their words burn with evil.
28 (D)Gossip is spread by wicked people; they stir up trouble and break up friendships.
29 Violent people deceive their friends and lead them to disaster.
30 Watch out for people who grin and wink at you; they have thought of something evil.
31 Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown.
32 It is better to be patient than powerful. It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.
33 People cast lots to learn God's will, but God himself determines the answer.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:1 God … word; or God inspires our words.
- Proverbs 16:7 you can make; or he will make.
- Proverbs 16:12 Kings … evil; or It is intolerable for kings to do evil.
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.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
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