Proverbs 21
21
1The Lord directs the king's decisions like a stream of water that he sends whichever way he wants.
2People think that whatever they do is fine, but the Lord looks at their motives.
3Doing what's right and fair pleases the Lord more than sacrifices.
4Pride and arrogance are the sins the wicked live by.#21:4. Literally, “Proud eyes and arrogant heart the lamp of the wicked sin.”
5Those who plan ahead and work hard will have plenty, while those who act rashly end up poor.
6Money made by lies is like smoke in the wind—a chase that ends in death.
7The destruction#21:7. Or “violence.” caused by the wicked will destroy them, for they refuse to do what's right.
8Guilty people live crooked lives, but the innocent follow straight paths.
9It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
10Evil people love to do wrong, they don't care what pain they cause anyone.
11When a mocker is punished, an immature person can learn wisdom. When the wise are educated, they gain knowledge.
12The God of justice#21:12. Literally, “the righteous one.” This is taken to refer to God particularly because of the second line. sees what happens in the homes of the wicked, and brings the wicked down in disaster.
13If you refuse to hear the cries of the poor, your cries won't be heard either.
14A gift given in secret calms down anger, and a hidden bribe soothes furious rage.
15When justice is done, the good are happy, but it brings terror to those who do evil.
16Anyone who wanders away from the path of understanding ends up with the dead.
17If you love pleasure you'll become poor; if you love wine and olive oil#21:17. The extensive use of wine and olive oil was associated with luxury. you won't ever be rich.
18The wicked pay the price and not the good; those who are deceitful and not those who live right.#21:18. The exact intention of this verse is unclear, but seems to be similar to the thought in 11:8.
19It's better to live in a desert than with an argumentative and bad-tempered wife.
20The wise hold on to their wealth and olive oil, but stupid people use up everything they have.
21If you pursue goodness and trustworthy love, you'll find life, prosperity, and honor.
22The wise can overcome a city belonging to strong warriors, and tear down the fortress they trusted to protect them.
23If you watch what you say, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
24A proud, conceited, mocker—that's the name of those who act with insolent arrogance.
25Slackers die hungry because they refuse to work.
26Some people only want more and more all the time, but the good give generously.
27The sacrifices given by the wicked are obnoxious, worse still when they're offered with evil motives.
28The lies of a false witness vanish away, but the words of a reliable witness will stand.
29The wicked act as bold as brass, but those who live right consider carefully what they're doing.
30Whatever wisdom, understanding, or guidance you may have is nothing before the Lord.
31You can get your horse ready for battle, but the victory is the Lord's.
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Proverbs 21: FBV
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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