Proverbs 16  Common English Bible

16 To people belong the plans of the heart,
    but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.
² All the ways of people
are pure in their eyes,
    but the Lord tests the motives.
³ Commit your work to the Lord,
    and your plans will succeed.
⁴ The Lord made everything for a purpose,
    even the wicked for an evil day.
⁵ The Lord detests all who are arrogant;
    they surely won’t go unpunished.
⁶ Love and faithfulness reconcile guilt;
    the fear of the Lord turns away evil.
⁷ When people draw favor from the Lord,
    even their enemies are at peace with them.
⁸ Better a little with righteousness
    than great profits without justice.
⁹ People plan their path,
    but the Lord secures their steps.
¹⁰ A king’s speech is like an oracle;
    in a judgment, one can’t go against his words.
¹¹ Honest balances and scales are the Lord’s;
    all the weights in the bag are his doing.
¹² Kings detest wicked deeds,
    for their thrones are founded on righteousness.
¹³ Kings favor those with righteous lips;
    they love words of integrity.
¹⁴ The king’s anger is a messenger of death;
    the wise will calm him.
¹⁵ There’s life in the light of the king’s face.
    His favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.
¹⁶ Acquiring wisdom is much better than gold,
    and acquiring understanding is better than silver.
¹⁷ The road of those who do right turns away from evil;
    those who protect their path guard their lives.
¹⁸ Pride comes before disaster,
    and arrogance before a fall.
¹⁹ Better to be humble with the needy
    than to divide plunder with the proud.
²⁰ Those with insight find prosperity;
    those who trust the Lord are blessed.
²¹ The skilled mind is called discerning,
    and pleasant speech enhances teaching.
²² One who has insight is a fountain of life,
    but the instruction of the foolish is folly.
²³ The mind of the wise makes their speech insightful
    and enhances the teaching of their lips.
²⁴ Pleasant words are flowing honey,
    sweet to the taste and healing to the bones.
²⁵ There is a path that may seem straight to someone,
    but in the end it is the path of death.
²⁶ The appetite of workers labors for them,
    for their hunger presses them on.
²⁷ Worthless people dig up trouble;
    their lips are like a scorching fire.
²⁸ Destructive people produce conflict;
    gossips alienate close friends.
²⁹ Violent people entice their neighbors
    and walk them down a path that isn’t good.
³⁰ Those who wink their eye plot destruction;
    those who purse their lips plan evil.
³¹ Gray hair is a crown of glory;
    it is found on the path of righteousness.
³² Better to be patient than a warrior,
    and better to have self-control than to capture a city.
³³ The dice are cast into the lap;
    all decisions are from the Lord.