Proverbs 16-19

Proverbs 16

¹The designs of the heart are man's, but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.

²All a man's ways are clean to himself; but the Lord puts men's spirits into his scales.

³Put your works into the hands of the Lord, and your purposes will be made certain.

⁴The Lord has made everything for his purpose, even the sinner for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone who has pride in his heart is disgusting to the Lord: he will certainly not go free from punishment.

⁶By mercy and good faith evil-doing is taken away: and by the fear of the Lord men are turned away from evil.

⁷When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his haters be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing.

⁹A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps.

¹⁰Decision is in the lips of the king: his mouth will not go wrong in judging.

¹¹True measures and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work.

¹²Evil-doing is disgusting to kings: for the seat of the ruler is based on righteousness.

¹³Lips of righteousness are the delight of kings; and he who says what is upright is dear to him.

¹⁴The wrath of the king is like those who give news of death, but a wise man will put peace in place of it.

¹⁵In the light of the king's face there is life; and his approval is like a cloud of spring rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to be turned away from evil: he who takes care of his way will keep his soul.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and a stiff spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better it is to have a gentle spirit with the poor, than to take part in the rewards of war with men of pride.

²⁰He who gives attention to the law of right will get good; and whoever puts his faith in the Lord is happy.

²¹The wise-hearted will be named men of good sense: and by pleasing words learning is increased.

²²Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.

²³The heart of the wise man is the teacher of his mouth, and gives increased learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasing words are like honey, sweet to the soul and new life to the bones.

²⁵There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.

²⁶The desire of the working man is working for him, for his need of food is driving him on.

²⁷A good-for-nothing man is a designer of evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire.

²⁸A man of twisted purposes is a cause of fighting everywhere: and he who says evil secretly makes trouble between friends.

²⁹A violent man puts desire of evil into his neighbour's mind, and makes him go in a way which is not good.

³⁰He whose eyes are shut is a man of twisted purposes, and he who keeps his lips shut tight makes evil come about.

³¹The grey head is a crown of glory, if it is seen in the way of righteousness.

³²He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.

³³A thing may be put to the decision of chance, but it comes about through the Lord.

Proverbs 17

¹Better a bit of dry bread in peace, than a house full of feasting and violent behaviour.

²A servant who does wisely will have rule over a son causing shame, and will have his part in the heritage among brothers.

³The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.

⁴A wrongdoer gives attention to evil lips, and a man of deceit gives ear to a damaging tongue.

⁵Whoever makes sport of the poor puts shame on his Maker; and he who is glad because of trouble will not go free from punishment.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.

⁷Fair words are not to be looked for from a foolish man, much less are false lips in a ruler.

⁸An offering of money is like a stone of great price in the eyes of him who has it: wherever he goes, he does well.

⁹He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends.

¹⁰A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.

¹¹An uncontrolled man is only looking for trouble, so a cruel servant will be sent against him.

¹²It is better to come face to face with a bear whose young ones have been taken away than with a foolish man acting foolishly.

¹³If anyone gives back evil for good, evil will never go away from his house.

¹⁴The start of fighting is like the letting out of water: so give up before it comes to blows.

¹⁵He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord.

¹⁶How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?

¹⁷A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.

¹⁸A man without sense gives his hand in an agreement, and makes himself responsible before his neighbour.

¹⁹The lover of fighting is a lover of sin: he who makes high his doorway is looking for destruction.

²⁰Nothing good comes to him whose heart is fixed on evil purposes: and he who has an evil tongue will come to trouble.

²¹He who has an unwise son gets sorrow for himself, and the father of a foolish son has no joy.

²²A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.

²³A sinner takes an offering out of his robe, to get a decision for himself in a cause.

²⁴Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitter pain to her who gave him birth.

²⁶To give punishment to the upright is not good, or to give blows to the noble for their righteousness.

²⁷He who has knowledge says little: and he who has a calm spirit is a man of good sense.

²⁸Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense.

Proverbs 18

¹He who keeps himself separate for his private purpose goes against all good sense.

²A foolish man has no pleasure in good sense, but only to let what is in his heart come to light.

³When the evil-doer comes, a low opinion comes with him, and with the loss of honour comes shame.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are like deep waters: the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.

⁵To have respect for the person of the evil-doer is not good, or to give a wrong decision against the upright.

⁶A foolish man's lips are a cause of fighting, and his mouth makes him open to blows.

⁷The mouth of a foolish man is his destruction, and his lips are a net for his soul.

⁸The words of one who says evil of his neighbour secretly are like sweet food, and go down into the inner parts of the stomach.

⁹He who does not give his mind to his work is brother to him who makes destruction.

¹⁰The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the upright man running into it is safe.

¹¹The property of a man of wealth is his strong town, and it is as a high wall in the thoughts of his heart.

¹²Before destruction the heart of man is full of pride, and before honour goes a gentle spirit.

¹³To give an answer before hearing is a foolish thing and a cause of shame.

¹⁴The spirit of a man will be his support when he is ill; but how may a broken spirit be lifted up?

¹⁵The heart of the man of good sense gets knowledge; the ear of the wise is searching for knowledge.

¹⁶A man's offering makes room for him, letting him come before great men.

¹⁷The man who first puts his cause before the judge seems to be in the right; but then his neighbour comes and puts his cause in its true light.

¹⁸The decision of chance puts an end to argument, parting the strong.

¹⁹A brother wounded is like a strong town, and violent acts are like a locked tower.

²⁰With the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach will be full; the produce of his lips will be his in full measure.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those to whom it is dear will have its fruit for their food.

²²Whoever gets a wife gets a good thing, and has the approval of the Lord.

²³The poor man makes requests for grace, but the man of wealth gives a rough answer.

²⁴There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.

Proverbs 19

¹Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

²Further, without knowledge desire is not good; and he who is over-quick in acting goes out of the right way.

³By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

⁴Wealth makes a great number of friends; but the poor man is parted from his friend.

⁵A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will not go free.

⁶Great numbers will make attempts to get the approval of a ruler: and every man is the special friend of him who has something to give.

⁷All the brothers of the poor man are against him: how much more do his friends go far from him! ...

⁸He who gets wisdom has love for his soul: he who keeps good sense will get what is truly good.

⁹A false witness will not go without punishment, and the breather out of deceit will be cut off.

¹⁰Material comfort is not good for the foolish; much less for a servant to be put over rulers.

¹¹A man's good sense makes him slow to wrath, and the overlooking of wrongdoing is his glory.

¹²The king's wrath is like the loud cry of a lion, but his approval is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the destruction of his father; and the bitter arguments of a wife are like drops of rain falling without end.

¹⁴House and wealth are a heritage from fathers, but a wife with good sense is from the Lord.

¹⁵Hate of work sends deep sleep on a man: and he who has no industry will go without food.

¹⁶He who keeps the law keeps his soul; but death will be the fate of him who takes no note of the word.

¹⁷He who has pity on the poor gives to the Lord, and the Lord will give him his reward.

¹⁸Give your son training while there is hope; let not your heart be purposing his death.

¹⁹A man of great wrath will have to take his punishment: for if you get him out of trouble you will have to do it again.

²⁰Let your ear be open to suggestion and take teaching, so that at the end you may be wise.

²¹A man's heart may be full of designs, but the purpose of the Lord is unchanging.

²²The ornament of a man is his mercy, and a poor man is better than one who is false.

²³The fear of the Lord gives life: and he who has it will have need of nothing; no evil will come his way.

²⁴The hater of work puts his hand deep into the basin, and will not even take it to his mouth again.

²⁵When blows overtake the man of pride, the simple will get sense; say sharp words to the wise, and knowledge will be made clear to him.

²⁶He who is violent to his father, driving away his mother, is a son causing shame and a bad name.

²⁷A son who no longer gives attention to teaching is turned away from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A good-for-nothing witness makes sport of the judge's decision: and the mouth of evil-doers sends out evil like a stream.

²⁹Rods are being made ready for the man of pride, and blows for the back of the foolish.