Proverbs 16
16
1To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.
2All a person’s ways seem pure to them,
but motives are weighed by the Lord.
3Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
4The Lord works out everything to its proper end –
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5The Lord detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.
6Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.
7When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peace with them.
8Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with injustice.
9In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
10The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.
11Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.
12Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.
13Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.
14A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but the wise will appease it.
15When a king’s face brightens, it means life;
his favour is like a rain cloud in spring.
16How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight rather than silver!
17The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.
18Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.
19Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
20Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,#16:20 Or whoever speaks prudently finds what is good
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
21The wise in heart are called discerning,
and gracious words promote instruction.#16:21 Or words make a person persuasive
22Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,
but folly brings punishment to fools.
23The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,
and their lips promote instruction.#16:23 Or prudent / and make their lips persuasive
24Gracious words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
26The appetite of labourers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.
27A scoundrel plots evil,
and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.
28A perverse person stirs up conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.
29A violent person entices their neighbour
and leads them down a path that is not good.
30Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.
31Grey hair is a crown of splendour;
it is attained in the way of righteousness.
32Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.
33The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
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Proverbs 16: NIVUK
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Proverbs 16
16
1Human beings may make plans in their minds, but the final decision is the Lord's.
2People think that whatever they do is fine, but the Lord looks at their intentions.
3Trust whatever you do to the Lord, and your plans will be successful.
4The Lord has a purpose in everything he does, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
5The Lord hates the arrogant. You can be certain of this: the wicked won't go unpunished.
6Sin is forgiven through trustworthy love and faithfulness; by honoring the Lord people are saved from evil.
7When the way that people live pleases the Lord, he makes even their enemies be at peace with them.
8Better to have just a little and be honest than to have a lot and be dishonest.
9You can plan in your mind what to do, but the Lord will guide you.
10The king is inspired in what he says; he is not unreliable in his decisions.
11Accurate scales and balances are important to the Lord. He has determined all the weights in the bag.
12It's a terrible thing for a king to do evil, for his throne is based on doing right.
13People who tell the truth please kings; they love those who say what is right.
14An angry king can put you to death. If you're wise you'll try and calm him down.
15If the king is smiling, you'll live; his blessing is like the clouds that bring spring rain.
16Far better to get wisdom than gold; far better to choose knowledge than silver.
17The highway of the good leads away from evil. If you watch where you're going you'll save your life.
18Pride leads to destruction; and an arrogant spirit leads to a fall.
19Better to have a humble spirit and live with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.
20If you pay attention to wise instruction you will do well; you'll be happy if you trust in the Lord.
21If you think wisely you'll be called perceptive; if you speak pleasantly you'll be persuasive.
22If you have good sense it will be a fountain of life to you, but stupid people are punished by their stupidity.
23A wise mind makes sure to say sensible things; the words spoken are persuasive.
24Kind words are like a honeycomb—they taste sweet and are healthy for the body.
25There's a way that seems to be right, but in the end it's the way of death.
26A good appetite helps workers—hunger encourages them.
27Worthless people plot evil and their words burn like fire.
28Quarrelsome people cause conflict, and a gossip comes between the closest friends.
29Violent people lure their friends, and lead them in a direction that's not good for them.
30People who give you a sly wink are plotting bad things; they purse their lips and make evil happen.
31Gray hair is a glorious crown; it's achieved by living right.
32Better to be slow to anger than to be powerful, better to have self-control than to conquer a town.
33The lot is thrown into the lap,#16:33. As a way of making a choice. but the Lord makes every decision.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com