Proverbs 16

¹ We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.

² People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.

³ Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

⁴ The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵ The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.

⁶ Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

⁷ When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them.

⁸ Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.

⁹ We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.

¹⁰ The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.

¹¹ The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.

¹² A king detests wrongdoing, for his rule is built on justice.

¹³ The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.

¹⁴ The anger of the king is a deadly threat; the wise will try to appease it.

¹⁵ When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver!

¹⁷ The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹ Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰ Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

²¹ The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

²² Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.

²³ From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.

²⁴ Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

²⁵ There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

²⁶ It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

²⁷ Scoundrels create trouble; their words are a destructive blaze.

²⁸ A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.

²⁹ Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path.

³⁰ With narrowed eyes, people plot evil; with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

³² Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

³³ We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.

Proverbs 17

¹ Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

² A wise servant will rule over the master’s disgraceful son and will share the inheritance of the master’s children.

³ Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

⁴ Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.

⁵ Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.

⁷ Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler.

⁸ A bribe is like a lucky charm; whoever gives one will prosper!

⁹ Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.

¹⁰ A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

¹¹ Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.

¹² It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

¹³ If you repay good with evil, evil will never leave your house.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—both are detestable to the Lord.

¹⁶ It is senseless to pay to educate a fool, since he has no heart for learning.

¹⁷ A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

¹⁸ It’s poor judgment to guarantee another person’s debt or put up security for a friend.

¹⁹ Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

²⁰ The crooked heart will not prosper; the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.

²¹ It is painful to be the parent of a fool; there is no joy for the father of a rebel.

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

²³ The wicked take secret bribes to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴ Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ Foolish children bring grief to their father and bitterness to the one who gave them birth.

²⁶ It is wrong to punish the godly for being good or to flog leaders for being honest.

²⁷ A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.