Proverbs 21:1-22

New International Version

21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.^(A)

²A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.^(B)

³To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.^(C)

⁴Haughty eyes^(D) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit^(E)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^[a]^(F)

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,^(G)
for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,^(H)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

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

¹⁰The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.^(J)

¹²The Righteous One^[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.^(K)

¹³Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
will also cry out^(L) and not be answered.^(M)

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.^(N)

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.^(O)

¹⁶Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.^(P)

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.^(Q)

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom^(R) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.^(S)

²⁰The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity^[c]^(T) and honor.^(U)

²²One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty^(V)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

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Footnotes

Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness

Psalm 114-116

New International Version

Psalm 114

¹When Israel came out of Egypt,^(A)
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
²Judah^(B) became God’s sanctuary,^(C)
Israel his dominion.

³The sea looked and fled,^(D)
the Jordan turned back;^(E)
⁴the mountains leaped^(F) like rams,
the hills like lambs.

⁵Why was it, sea, that you fled?^(G)
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
⁶Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, earth,^(H) at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.^(I)

Psalm 115^(J)

¹Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,^(K)
because of your love and faithfulness.^(L)

²Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(M)
³Our God is in heaven;^(N)
    he does whatever pleases him.^(O)
⁴But their idols are silver and gold,^(P)
    made by human hands.^(Q)
⁵They have mouths, but cannot speak,^(R)
    eyes, but cannot see.
⁶They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
⁷They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

⁹All you Israelites, trust^(S) in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹⁰House of Aaron,^(T) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹¹You who fear him,^(U) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

¹²The Lord remembers^(V) us and will bless us:^(W)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³he will bless those who fear^(X) the Lord—
    small and great alike.

¹⁴May the Lord cause you to flourish,^(Y)
both you and your children.
¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven^(Z) and earth.

¹⁶The highest heavens belong to the Lord,^(AA)
    but the earth he has given^(AB) to mankind.
¹⁷It is not the dead^(AC) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸it is we who extol the Lord,^(AD)
    both now and forevermore.^(AE)

Praise the Lord.^[a]^(AF)

Psalm 116

¹I love the Lord,^(AG) for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry^(AH) for mercy.^(AI)
²Because he turned his ear^(AJ) to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

³The cords of death^(AK) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴Then I called on the name^(AL) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!^(AM)”

⁵The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(AN)
our God is full of compassion.^(AO)
⁶The Lord protects the unwary;
when I was brought low,^(AP) he saved me.^(AQ)

⁷Return to your rest,^(AR) my soul,
for the Lord has been good^(AS) to you.

⁸For you, Lord, have delivered me^(AT) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹that I may walk before the Lord^(AU)
    in the land of the living.^(AV)

¹⁰I trusted^(AW) in the Lord when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted”;^(AX)
¹¹in my alarm I said,
“Everyone is a liar.”^(AY)

¹²What shall I return to the Lord
for all his goodness^(AZ) to me?

¹³I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name^(BA) of the Lord.
¹⁴I will fulfill my vows^(BB) to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight^(BC) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.^(BD)
¹⁶Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(BE)
    I serve you just as my mother did;^(BF)
    you have freed me from my chains.^(BG)

¹⁷I will sacrifice a thank offering^(BH) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸I will fulfill my vows^(BI) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹in the courts^(BJ) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.^(BK)