16 jThe plans of the heart belong to man,
but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are kpure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.1
3 lCommit your work to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
4 mThe Lord has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is narrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
obe assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By psteadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and qby the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 rBetter is a little with righteousness
than great revenues swith injustice.
9 The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.
10 An oracle is on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 tA just balance and scales are the Lord’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for uthe throne is established by righteousness.
13 vRighteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
and a wise man will appease it.
15 In the wlight of a king’s face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
16 How much better to get wisdom than xgold!
To get yunderstanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18 zPride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be of a alowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 Whoever gives thought to the word2 will discover good,
and bblessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
21 The wise of heart is called discerning,
and csweetness of speech dincreases persuasiveness.
22 Good sense eis a fountain of life to him who has it,
but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 fGracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
25 gThere is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is hthe way to death.3
26 A worker’s appetite works for him;
ihis mouth urges him on.
27 A worthless man plots evil,
and his speech4 is jlike a scorching fire.
28 A dishonest man spreads strife,
and ka whisperer separates close friends.
29 A man of violence lentices his neighbor
and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever mwinks his eyes plans5 dishonest things;
he who purses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 nGray hair is oa crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.
32 Whoever is pslow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 qThe lot is cast into the lap,
but its every decision is from the Lord.
17 rBetter is a dry morsel with quiet
than a house full of feasting1 with strife.
2 A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully
and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
3 sThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
and the Lord tests hearts.
4 An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 tWhoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;
uhe who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.
6 Grandchildren are vthe crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
7 Fine speech is wnot becoming to a fool;
still less is false speech to a prince.
8 xA bribe is like a magic2 stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
wherever he turns he prospers.
9 Whoever ycovers an offense seeks love,
but zhe who repeats a matter separates close friends.
10 aA rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
than a hundred blows into a fool.
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12 Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs
rather than a fool in his folly.
13 If anyone breturns evil for good,
evil will not depart from his house.
14 cThe beginning of strife is like letting out water,
so quit before the quarrel breaks out.
15 He who justifies the wicked and he who dcondemns the righteous
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
16 Why should a fool have money in his hand to ebuy wisdom
when he has no sense?
17 fA friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
18 One who lacks sense ggives a pledge
and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 A man of hcrooked heart does not discover good,
and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
21 iHe who sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
and the father of a fool has no joy.
22 jA joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
23 The wicked kaccepts a bribe in secret3
lto pervert the ways of justice.
24 The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
26 To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
27 mWhoever nrestrains his words has knowledge,
and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
18 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
but only in expressing his opinion.
3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also,
and with dishonor comes disgrace.
4 The words of a man’s mouth are odeep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
5 It is not good to be partial to1 the pwicked
or to deprive the righteous of justice.
6 A fool’s lips walk into a fight,
and his mouth invites a beating.
7 qA fool’s mouth is his ruin,
and his lips are a rsnare to his soul.
8 sThe words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
they go down into the inner parts of the body.
9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.
10 The tname of the Lord is a ustrong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
11 vA rich man’s wealth is his strong city,
and like a high wall in his imagination.
12 wBefore destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
but xhumility comes before honor.
13 If one gives an answer before he hears,
it is his folly and shame.
14 A man’s spirit will endure sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?
15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
16 yA man’s gift makes room for him
and brings him before the great.
17 The one who states his case first seems right,
until the other comes and examines him.
18 zThe lot puts an end to quarrels
and decides between powerful contenders.
19 A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city,
and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
20 aFrom the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied;
he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.
22 He who bfinds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
23 The poor use entreaties,
but the rich answer roughly.
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin,
cbut there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
19 dBetter is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than eone who is fcrooked in speech and is a fool.
2 Desire1 without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the Lord.
4 gWealth brings many new friends,
hbut a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 iA jfalse witness will not go unpunished,
and he who kbreathes out lies will not escape.
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,2
and leveryone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.3
8 Whoever mgets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
10 It is nnot fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
11 Good sense makes one oslow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 pA king’s wrath is qlike the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 rA foolish son is ruin to his father,
and sa wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
15 tSlothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
17 uWhoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will vrepay him for his deed.
18 wDiscipline your son, for there is hope;
xdo not set your heart on putting him to death.
19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept yinstruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future.
21 zMany are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and aa poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
24 bThe sluggard buries his hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 Strike a scoffer, and the csimple will learn prudence;
dreprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who does violence to his efather and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.
27 Cease to hear finstruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and gbeating for the backs of fools.
20 hWine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.1
2 iThe terror of a king is like the growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.
3 jIt is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4 kThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
he will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5 The purpose in a man’s heart is like ldeep water,
but a man of munderstanding will draw it out.
6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love,
but a faithful man nwho can find?
7 The righteous who walks in his integrity—
blessed are his children after him!
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
winnows all evil with his eyes.
9 oWho can say, p“I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10 qUnequal2 weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11 Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.3
12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
the Lord has made them both.
13 rLove not sleep, lest you come to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have splenty of bread.
14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of costly stones,
but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16 Take a man’s garment when he has tput up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.4
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel;
uby wise guidance wage war.
19 vWhoever goes about wslandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.5
20 xIf one curses his yfather or his mother,
his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21 An inheritance gained zhastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22 aDo not say, “I will brepay evil”;
cwait for the Lord, dand he will deliver you.
23 Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and false scales are not good.
24 A man’s steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only after making evows.
26 A wise king winnows the wicked
and drives the wheel over them.
27 The spirit6 of man is the lamp of the Lord,
searching all his innermost parts.
28 fSteadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gbut the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean the innermost parts.
