Proverbs 16
16
1We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
2People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
3Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
5The Lord detests the proud;
they will surely be punished.
6Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
7When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
8Better to have little, with godliness,
than to be rich and dishonest.
9We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.
10The king speaks with divine wisdom;
he must never judge unfairly.
11The Lord demands accurate scales and balances;
he sets the standards for fairness.
12A king detests wrongdoing,
for his rule is built on justice.
13The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly.
14The anger of the king is a deadly threat;
the wise will try to appease it.
15When the king smiles, there is life;
his favor refreshes like a spring rain.
16How much better to get wisdom than gold,
and good judgment than silver!
17The path of the virtuous leads away from evil;
whoever follows that path is safe.
18Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.
19Better to live humbly with the poor
than to share plunder with the proud.
20Those who listen to instruction will prosper;
those who trust the Lord will be joyful.
21The wise are known for their understanding,
and pleasant words are persuasive.
22Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it,
but discipline is wasted on fools.
23From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive.
24Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
25There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.
26It is good for workers to have an appetite;
an empty stomach drives them on.
27Scoundrels create trouble;
their words are a destructive blaze.
28A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
gossip separates the best of friends.
29Violent people mislead their companions,
leading them down a harmful path.
30With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
with a smirk, they plan their mischief.
31Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained by living a godly life.
32Better to be patient than powerful;
better to have self-control than to conquer a city.
33We may throw the dice,#16:33 Hebrew We may cast lots.
but the Lord determines how they fall.
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Proverbs 16: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Proverbs 16
16
1The plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs the motives.
3Commit your deeds to Yahweh,
and your plans shall succeed.
4Yahweh has made everything for its own end—
yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh;
they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for.
By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
7When a man’s ways please Yahweh,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8Better is a little with righteousness,
than great revenues with injustice.
9A man’s heart plans his course,
but Yahweh directs his steps.
10Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king.
He shall not betray his mouth.
11Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12It is an abomination for kings to do wrong,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
13Righteous lips are the delight of kings.
They value one who speaks the truth.
14The king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will pacify it.
15In the light of the king’s face is life.
His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold!
Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil.
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18Pride goes before destruction,
and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor,
than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20He who heeds the Word finds prosperity.
Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
21The wise in heart shall be called prudent.
Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it,
but the punishment of fools is their folly.
23The heart of the wise instructs his mouth,
and adds learning to his lips.
24Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25There is a way which seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
26The appetite of the laboring man labors for him,
for his mouth urges him on.
27A worthless man devises mischief.
His speech is like a scorching fire.
28A perverse man stirs up strife.
A whisperer separates close friends.
29A man of violence entices his neighbor,
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31Gray hair is a crown of glory.
It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33The lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from Yahweh.
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