16 The ^(A)plans of the heart belong to a person,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
² All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight,
But the ^(B)Lord examines the ^[a]motives.
^3 [b](C)Commit your works to the Lord,
And your plans will be established.
⁴ The Lord ^(D)has made everything for ^[c]its own purpose,
Even the ^(E)wicked for the day of evil.
⁵ Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
^[d]Be assured, he will not go unpunished.
⁶ By ^(F)mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing,
And by ^[e]the ^(G)fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
⁷ When a person’s ways are pleasing to the Lord,
He ^(H)causes even his enemies to make peace with him.
⁸ Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice.
⁹ The mind of a ^(I)person plans his way,
But ^(J)the Lord directs his steps.
¹⁰ A divine ^(K)verdict is on the lips of the king;
His mouth should not ^[f]err in judgment.
¹¹ A ^(L)just balance and scales belong to the Lord;
All the ^[g]weights of the bag are His ^[h]concern.
¹² It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts,
Because a ^(M)throne is established on righteousness.
¹³ Righteous lips are the delight of kings,
And one who speaks right is loved.
¹⁴ The fury of a king is like messengers of death;
But a wise person will appease it.
¹⁵ In the light of a king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the ^[i](N)spring rain.
¹⁶ How much ^(O)better it is to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.
¹⁷ The ^(P)highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his ^[j]life.
^18 (Q)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be ^(R)humble in spirit with the needy
Than to ^(S)divide the spoils with the proud.
²⁰ One who pays attention to the word will ^(T)find good,
And ^(U)blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The ^(V)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of ^[k]speech ^(W)increases ^[l]persuasiveness.
²² Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
But the discipline of fools is foolishness.
²³ The ^(X)heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds ^[m]persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (Y)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and ^(Z)healing to the bones.
^25 (AA)There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
²⁶ A worker’s appetite works for him,
For his ^[n]hunger urges him on.
²⁷ A ^(AB)worthless person digs up evil,
While ^[o]his words are like ^(AC)scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse person spreads strife,
And a ^[p]slanderer separates close friends.
²⁹ A person of violence ^(AD)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.
³¹ A ^(AE)gray head is a crown of glory;
It ^(AF)is found in the way of righteousness.
³² One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.
³³ The ^(AG)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every ^(AH)decision is from the Lord.

17 ^(A)Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it
Than a house full of ^[a]feasting with strife.
² A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.
³ The ^(B)refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
But ^(C)the Lord tests hearts.
⁴ An ^(D)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A ^[b]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
⁵ One who mocks the ^(E)poor taunts his Maker;
One who ^(F)rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.
^6 (G)Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the ^(H)glory of sons is their fathers.
^7 [c](I)Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool,
Much less are ^(J)lying lips to a prince.
⁸ A ^(K)bribe is a ^[d]charm in the sight of its owner;
Wherever he turns, he prospers.
⁹ One who ^(L)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter ^(M)separates close friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding
Than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a ^(N)person meet a ^(O)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.
¹³ One who ^(P)returns evil for good,
^(Q)Evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
So ^(R)abandon the quarrel before it breaks out.
¹⁵ One who ^(S)justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why is there money in the hand of a fool to ^(T)buy wisdom,
When ^[e]he has no sense?
¹⁷ A ^(U)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ A person lacking in ^[f]sense ^(V)shakes hands
And becomes guarantor in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ One who ^(W)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who ^(X)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
²⁰ One who has a crooked ^[g]mind ^(Y)finds nothing good,
And one who is ^[h](Z)corrupted in his language falls into evil.
²¹ He who ^(AA)fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.
²² A ^(AB)joyful heart ^[i]is good medicine,
But a broken spirit ^(AC)dries up the bones.
²³ A wicked person accepts a ^(AD)bribe ^[j]from an inside pocket
To ^(AE)pervert the ways of justice.
²⁴ Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the ^(AF)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
²⁵ A ^(AG)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And ^(AH)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
²⁶ It is also not good to ^(AI)fine the righteous,
Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ One who ^(AJ)withholds his words ^[k]has knowledge,
And one who has a ^(AK)cool spirit is a person of understanding.
²⁸ Even a fool, when he ^(AL)keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He ^[a](A)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
² A fool does not delight in understanding,
But ^(B)in revealing his own ^[b]mind.
³ When a wicked person comes, contempt also comes,
And with dishonor comes taunting.
⁴ The words of a person’s mouth are ^(C)deep waters;
^[c]The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
⁵ To ^(D)show partiality to the wicked is not good,
Nor to ^(E)suppress the righteous in judgment.
⁶ A fool’s lips ^[d]bring strife,
And his mouth invites ^(F)beatings.
⁷ A ^(G)fool’s mouth is his ruin,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.
⁸ The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the ^[e]innermost parts of the body.
⁹ He also who is ^(H)lax in his work
^(I)Is a brother to him who destroys.
¹⁰ The ^(J)name of the Lord is a ^(K)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and ^(L)is ^[f]safe.
¹¹ A ^(M)rich person’s wealth is his strong city,
And like a high wall in his own imagination.
^12 (N)Before destruction the heart of a person is haughty,
But ^(O)humility goes before honor.
¹³ One who ^(P)gives an answer before he hears,
It is foolishness and shame to him.
¹⁴ The ^(Q)spirit of a person can endure his sickness,
But as for a ^(R)broken spirit, who can endure it?
¹⁵ The ^[g](S)mind of the discerning acquires knowledge,
And the ^(T)ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
¹⁶ A person’s ^(U)gift makes room for him
And brings him before great people.
¹⁷ The first ^[h]to plead his case seems right,
Until ^[i]another comes and examines him.
¹⁸ The cast ^(V)lot puts an end to quarrels,
And ^[j]decides between the mighty ones.
¹⁹ A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
²⁰ With the ^[k](W)fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
^(X)He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
^21 (Y)Death and life are in the ^[l]power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its ^(Z)fruit.
²² He who finds a ^(AA)wife finds a good thing
And ^(AB)obtains favor from the Lord.
²³ A ^(AC)poor person utters pleadings,
But a ^(AD)rich person ^(AE)answers defiantly.
²⁴ A person of too many friends comes to ^[m]ruin,
But there is ^(AF)a friend who sticks closer than a brother.