Font Size
Proverbs 21
The Voice
Proverbs 21
The Voice
21 The king’s heart is like a channel of water directed by the Eternal:
He chooses which way He bends it.
2 Everyone may think his own way of living is right,
but the Eternal examines our hearts.
3 To do what is right and to seek justice—
these please Him more than sacrifice.
4 The lamp of the wicked lights his way;
a proud look, an arrogant heart—all sin.
5 A well-thought-out plan will work to your advantage,
but hasty actions will cost you dearly.
6 The fortune made by a swindler
is a fast-burning fog and a recipe for death.
7 Wicked people will be swept up in their own violence
because they refuse to seek justice.
8 Dishonest people walk along the crooked path they have made,
but the innocent travel the straight course they have laid.
9 It is better to dwell outside on the corner of your roof
than to live inside your house with a badgering wife.
10 Wicked people delight in doing bad things;
their neighbors never see even a hint of compassion.
11 A naive person wises up when he sees a mocker punished.
A wise person becomes even wiser just by being instructed.
12 The right-living understands how evildoers operate;
he subverts them and ruins their plans.
13 If you ignore the groans of the poor,
one day your own cries for help will go unanswered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a present offered privately calms fierce rage.
15 When justice is done, those who are in the right celebrate,
but those who make trouble are terrified.
16 People who wander from the way of wise living
will lie down in the company of corpses.
17 Those who live to party, who pursue pleasure, will end up penniless;
those who enjoy lots of wine and rich food will never have money.
18 The wicked become a ransom for those who live right,
and the faithless pay the penalty for their treachery against the upright.
19 You would be better off living in the middle of the desert
than with an angry and argumentative wife.
20 The wise have a generous supply of fine food and oil in their homes,
but fools are wasteful, consuming every last drop.
21 Whoever pursues justice and treats others with kindness
discovers true life marked by integrity and respect.
22 One wise person can rise against a city of mighty men
and cause the citadel they trust to collapse.
23 Guard your words, mind what you say,
and you will keep yourself out of trouble.
24 The name “mocker” applies to one who is proud and pompous
because he is defiantly arrogant.
25 What slackers crave will surely kill them
because they refuse to work.
26 All day, every day the greedy want more,
while those who live right give generously.
27 The offerings of wrongdoers are despicable to God;
it’s even worse when they bring them with evil motives.
28 The testimony of a false witness is eventually impeached,
but the person who truly listens will have the last word.
29 The wicked wears a defiant face,
but the right-living plans his path.
30 No one is wise enough or smart enough,
and no plan is good enough to stand up to the Eternal.
31 No matter how well you arm for battle,
victory is determined by Him.
Proverbs 21
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 21
Lexham English Bible
21 Streams of water are the heart[a] of a king in the hand of Yahweh;
wherever[b] he will desire, he will turn.
2 Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs hearts.[c]
3 Doing righteousness and justice is more acceptable
to Yahweh than sacrifice.
4 Haughtiness of the eyes and pride of heart,
the lamp of the wicked are sin.
5 The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance,
but all who are hasty, only to want.
6 He who makes treasure by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and seeker[d] of death.
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
for they refuse to do justice.
8 Crooked is the way of a man and a foreigner,
but the pure is upright in his conduct.
9 Better to dwell on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a woman[e] of contention.
10 The soul[f] of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor will not find mercy in his eyes.
11 With the punishment of a scoffer, the simple will become wise,
and with the instruction of the wise, he will obtain knowledge.
12 The righteous observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked to ruin.
13 He who closes his ear from the cry of the poor,
he also will cry out and not be heard.
14 A gift in secret[g] will avert anger,[h]
and a concealed bribe,[i] strong wrath.
15 It is a joy to the righteous to do justice,
but dismay to those who do evil.
16 Whoever wanders from the way of understanding,
in the assembly of the dead[j] he will rest.
17 A man of want is he who loves pleasure;
he who loves wine and oil[k] will not become rich.
18 A ransom for the righteous is the wicked,
and the faithless instead of the upright.
19 Better to live in a land of wilderness
than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.
20 Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise,
but the foolish person[l] will devour them.[m]
21 He who pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22 To a city of warriors, the wise ascends,
and he will bring down the stronghold—its object of trust.
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
he guards his life[n] from danger.
24 The proud, haughty one: “scoffer” is his name;
he acts with arrogance of pride.
25 The craving of a lazy person will kill him,
for his hands refuse to work.[o]
26 All day[p] he craves a craving,
but the righteous will give and not hold back.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it in divisiveness!
28 A false witness will perish,
but a man who listens will testify with[q] success.
29 A wicked man is strong in his countenance,[r]
but the upright will appoint his paths.
30 There is no wisdom, nor understanding,
nor counsel to oppose Yahweh.
31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but to Yahweh belongs the victory.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:1 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 21:1 Literally “upon all that”
- Proverbs 21:2 Or “minds”
- Proverbs 21:6 Hebrew “seekers”
- Proverbs 21:9 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 21:10 Or “soul, life, throat”
- Proverbs 21:14 Hebrew “the secret”
- Proverbs 21:14 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 21:14 Literally “bribe in the bosom”
- Proverbs 21:16 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 21:17 Or “fat”
- Proverbs 21:20 Or “foolish of mankind”
- Proverbs 21:20 Literally “it”
- Proverbs 21:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 21:25 Or “make”
- Proverbs 21:26 Literally “All the day”
- Proverbs 21:28 Hebrew “to the”
- Proverbs 21:29 Literally “his face”
Proverbs 21
New International Version
Proverbs 21
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)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(B)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(C)
4 Haughty eyes(D) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(E)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(G)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(H)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(I)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(J)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(N)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(O)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(P)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(Q)
18 The wicked become a ransom(R) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(S)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(V)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(Y)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(Z)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(AA) give without sparing.(AB)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(AC)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(AD)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(AG)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(AJ)
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
箴言 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
箴言 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
21 耶和華掌管君王的心，
易如支配壟溝的流水。
2 人自以為行事正確，
但耶和華衡量人心。
3 秉公行義比獻祭更蒙耶和華喜悅。
4 高傲的眼，狂妄的心，惡人的燈，
都是罪惡。
5 勤勞者的計劃必致富足，
行事急躁的人必致貧困。
6 騙來的財如過眼雲霧，
使人掉進死亡的陷阱。
7 惡人的暴力必毀滅自己，
因為他們行事不公不義。
8 犯罪的人行徑扭曲，
純潔的人行為正直。
9 寧願住在房頂的一角，
也不跟爭鬧之妻同屋。
10 惡人貪戀邪惡，
對鄰舍殘忍無情。
11 懲罰嘲諷者，愚人得智慧；
訓誡智者，他便長見識。
12 公義的上帝鑒察惡人的家，
祂必使他們滅亡。
13 掩耳不聽窮人呼求的，
他將來求救也無人管。
14 暗中送的禮物能平息憤怒，
塞進懷裡的賄賂止息盛怒。
15 正義得到伸張，
義人喜、惡人怕。
16 人偏離明智之道，
終必與陰魂為伍。
17 貪圖享受必窮困，
奢華宴樂難富足。
18 惡人作義人的贖價，
奸徒替正直人受苦。
19 寧願獨居曠野，
不跟吵鬧易怒的女子同住。
20 智者家中積存寶物和油，
愚人將所有的揮霍一空。
21 追求公義與慈愛的，
必尋得生命、公義和尊榮。
22 智者攀上勇士的城池，
摧毀他們倚仗的堅壘。
23 管住口舌，免遭禍患。
24 嘲諷者狂妄自大，
行事驕橫無比。
25 懶人的慾望害死自己，
因為他的手不肯做工。
26 懶人整天貪得無厭，
義人施捨毫不吝嗇。
27 惡人的祭物已經可憎，
何況他懷著惡意來獻！
28 作偽證的終滅亡，
道實情的常發言。
29 惡人虛張聲勢，
正直人謹慎行事。
30 任何智慧、悟性和謀略，
都不能對抗耶和華。
31 馬為爭戰之日預備，
勝敗由耶和華決定。
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.