16 The ^(A)plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
² All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the ^(B)Lord weighs the ^[a]motives.
^3 [b](C)Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
⁴ The Lord ^(D)has made everything for ^[c]its own purpose,
Even the ^(E)wicked for the day of evil.
⁵ Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.
⁶ By ^(F)lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,
And by the ^[d](G)fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
⁷ When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He ^(H)makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
⁸ Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
⁹ The mind of ^(I)man plans his way,
But ^(J)the Lord directs his steps.
¹⁰ A divine ^(K)decision is in the lips of the king;
His mouth should not ^[e]err in judgment.
¹¹ A ^(L)just balance and scales belong to the Lord;
All the ^[f]weights of the bag are His ^[g]concern.
¹² It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
For a ^(M)throne is established on righteousness.
¹³ Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And he who speaks right is loved.
¹⁴ The fury of a king is like messengers of death,
But a wise man will appease it.
¹⁵ In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the ^[h](N)spring rain.
¹⁶ How much ^(O)better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
¹⁷ The ^(P)highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who watches his way preserves his ^[i]life.
^18 (Q)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be ^(R)humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to ^(S)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ He who gives attention to the word will ^(T)find good,
And ^(U)blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The ^(V)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of ^[j]speech ^(W)increases ^[k]persuasiveness.
²² Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
But the discipline of fools is folly.
²³ The ^(X)heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds ^[l]persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (Y)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and ^(Z)healing to the bones.
^25 (AA)There is a way which seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
²⁶ A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his ^[m]hunger urges him on.
²⁷ A ^(AB)worthless man digs up evil,
While ^[n]his words are like ^(AC)scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse man spreads strife,
And a slanderer separates intimate friends.
²⁹ A man of violence ^(AD)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
³¹ A ^(AE)gray head is a crown of glory;
It ^(AF)is found in the way of righteousness.
³² He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
³³ The ^(AG)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every ^(AH)decision is from the Lord.

17 ^(AI)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of ^[o]feasting with strife.
² A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
³ The ^(AJ)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But ^(AK)the Lord tests hearts.
⁴ An ^(AL)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A ^[p]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
⁵ He who mocks the ^(AM)poor taunts his Maker;
He who ^(AN)rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.
^6 (AO)Grandchildren are the crown of old men,
And the ^(AP)glory of sons is their fathers.
^7 [q](AQ)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are ^(AR)lying lips to a prince.
⁸ A ^(AS)bribe is a ^[r]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
⁹ He who ^(AT)conceals a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter ^(AU)separates intimate friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ A rebellious man seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a ^(AV)man meet a ^(AW)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.
¹³ He who ^(AX)returns evil for good,
^(AY)Evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So ^(AZ)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
¹⁵ He who ^(BA)justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to ^(BB)buy wisdom,
When ^[s]he has no sense?
¹⁷ A ^(BC)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ A man lacking in ^[t]sense ^[u](BD)pledges
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ He who ^(BE)loves transgression loves strife;
He who ^(BF)raises his door seeks destruction.
²⁰ He who has a crooked ^[v]mind ^(BG)finds no good,
And he who is ^(BH)perverted in his language falls into evil.
²¹ He who ^(BI)sires a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
²² A ^(BJ)joyful heart ^[w]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit ^(BK)dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked man receives a ^(BL)bribe from the bosom
To ^(BM)pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding,
But the ^(BN)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵ A ^(BO)foolish son is a grief to his father
And ^(BP)bitterness to her who bore him.
²⁶ It is also not good to ^(BQ)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ He who ^(BR)restrains his words ^[x]has knowledge,
And he who has a ^(BS)cool spirit is a man of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he ^(BT)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

18 He who separates himself seeks his own desire,
He ^[y](BU)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
² A fool does not delight in understanding,
But only ^(BV)in revealing his own ^[z]mind.
³ When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes scorn.
⁴ The words of a man’s mouth are ^(BW)deep waters;
^[aa]The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
⁵ To ^(BX)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to ^(BY)thrust aside the righteous in judgment.
⁶ A fool’s lips ^[ab]bring strife,
And his mouth calls for ^(BZ)blows.
⁷ A ^(CA)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
⁸ The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[ac]innermost parts of the body.
⁹ He also who is ^(CB)slack in his work
^(CC)Is brother to him who destroys.
¹⁰ The ^(CD)name of the Lord is a ^(CE)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and ^(CF)is ^[ad]safe.
¹¹ A ^(CG)rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
^12 (CH)Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
But ^(CI)humility goes before honor.
¹³ He who ^(CJ)gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
¹⁴ The ^(CK)spirit of a man can endure his sickness,
But as for a ^(CL)broken spirit who can bear it?
¹⁵ The ^[ae](CM)mind of the prudent acquires knowledge,
And the ^(CN)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A man’s ^(CO)gift makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
¹⁷ The first ^[af]to plead his case seems right,
Until ^[ag]another comes and examines him.
¹⁸ The cast ^(CP)lot puts an end to strife
And ^[ah]decides between the mighty ones.
¹⁹ A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
²⁰ With the ^[ai](CQ)fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
^(CR)He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
^21 (CS)Death and life are in the ^[aj]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its ^(CT)fruit.
²² He who finds a ^(CU)wife finds a good thing
And ^(CV)obtains favor from the Lord.
²³ The ^(CW)poor man utters supplications,
But the ^(CX)rich man ^(CY)answers roughly.
²⁴ A man of too many friends comes to ^[ak]ruin,
But there is ^(CZ)a ^[al]friend who sticks closer than a brother.

“^(O)Therefore I will ^[e]give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing to Your name.”

“^(P)Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”

“^(Q)Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”

“^(R)There shall come ^(S)the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
^(T)In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”

“^(AL)They who had no news of Him shall see,
And they who have not heard shall understand.”