Proverbs 16-17

New King James Version

² All the ways of a man are pure in his own ^(C)eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.

^3 (D)Commit^[b] your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.

⁴ The ^(E)Lord has made all for Himself,
^(F)Yes, even the wicked for the day of ^[c]doom.

^5 (G)Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
Though they join ^[d]forces, none will go unpunished.

^6 (H)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And ^(I)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

⁷ When a man’s ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

^8 (J)Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.

^9 (K)A man’s heart plans his way,
^(L)But the Lord directs his steps.

¹⁰ Divination is on the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
^11 (M)Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s;
All the weights in the bag are His ^[e]work.
¹² It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For ^(N)a throne is established by righteousness.
^13 (O)Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And they love him who speaks what is right.
¹⁴ As messengers of death is the king’s wrath,
But a wise man will ^(P)appease it.
¹⁵ In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a ^(Q)cloud of the latter rain.

^16 (R)How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

¹⁷ The highway of the upright is to depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before ^[f]a fall.
¹⁹ Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the ^[g]spoil with the proud.

²⁰ He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever ^(S)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

²¹ The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.

²² Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.

²³ The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.

²⁴ Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of ^(T)death.

²⁶ The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives ^(U)him on.

^27 [h]An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning ^(V)fire.
²⁸ A perverse man sows strife,
And ^(W)a whisperer separates the best of friends.
²⁹ A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He ^[i]purses his lips and brings about evil.

^31 (X)The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.

^32 (Y)He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

³³ The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.

² A wise servant will rule over ^(AA)a son who causes shame,
And will share an inheritance among the brothers.

³ The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
^(AB)But the Lord tests the hearts.

⁴ An evildoer gives heed to false lips;
A liar listens eagerly to a ^[k]spiteful tongue.

^5 (AC)He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker;
^(AD)He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

^6 (AE)Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.

⁷ Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool,
Much less lying lips to a prince.

⁸ A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.

^9 (AF)He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But ^(AG)he who repeats a matter separates friends.

^10 (AH)Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.

¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion;
Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

¹² Let a man meet ^(AI)a bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³ Whoever ^(AJ)rewards evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.

¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like releasing water;
Therefore ^(AK)stop contention before a quarrel starts.

^15 (AL)He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶ Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom,
Since he has no heart for it?

^17 (AM)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

^18 (AN)A man devoid of ^[l]understanding ^[m]shakes hands in a pledge,
And becomes ^[n]surety for his friend.

¹⁹ He who loves transgression loves strife,
And ^(AO)he who exalts his gate seeks destruction.

²⁰ He who has a ^[o]deceitful heart finds no good,
And he who has ^(AP)a perverse tongue falls into evil.

²¹ He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.

²² A ^(AQ)merry heart ^[p]does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

²³ A wicked man accepts a bribe ^[q]behind the back
To pervert the ways of justice.

^24 (AR)Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding,
But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A ^(AS)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her who bore him.

²⁶ Also, to punish the righteous is not good,
Nor to strike princes for their uprightness.

^27 (AT)He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.
^28 (AU)Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace;
When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.