Proverbs 21:1-15

Christian Standard Bible

21 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand:
He directs it wherever he chooses.^(A)

² All a person’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs hearts.^(B)

³ Doing what is righteous and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(C)

⁴ The lamp that guides the wicked—
haughty eyes and an arrogant heart^(D)—is sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.^(E)

⁶ Making a fortune through a lying tongue
is a vanishing mist,^[a] a pursuit of death.^[b][c](F)

⁷ The violence of the wicked sweeps them away
because they refuse to act justly.

⁸ A guilty one’s conduct is crooked,^(G)
but the behavior of the innocent is upright.^(H)

⁹ Better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a nagging wife.^(I)

¹⁰ A wicked person desires evil;
he has no consideration^[d] for his neighbor.^(J)

¹¹ When a mocker is punished,
the inexperienced become wiser;
when one teaches a wise man,
he acquires knowledge.^(K)

¹² The Righteous One^[e] considers the house of the wicked;
he brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³ The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.^(L)

¹⁴ A secret gift soothes anger,
and a covert bribe, fierce rage.^(M)

¹⁵ Justice executed is a joy to the righteous
but a terror to evildoers.^(N)