Proverbs 16:17-33

New American Standard Bible

¹⁷ The ^(A)highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
One who watches his way protects his ^[a]life.
^18 (B)Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be ^(C)humble in spirit with the needy
Than to ^(D)divide the spoils with the proud.
²⁰ One who pays attention to the word will ^(E)find good,
And ^(F)blessed is one who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The ^(G)wise in heart will be called understanding,
And sweetness of ^[b]speech ^(H)increases ^[c]persuasiveness.
²² Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
But the discipline of fools is foolishness.
²³ The ^(I)heart of the wise instructs his mouth
And adds ^[d]persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (J)Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and ^(K)healing to the bones.
^25 (L)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 ^[e]hunger urges him on.
²⁷ A ^(M)worthless person digs up evil,
While ^[f]his words are like ^(N)scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse person spreads strife,
And a ^[g]slanderer separates close friends.
²⁹ A person of violence ^(O)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 ^(P)gray head is a crown of glory;
It ^(Q)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 ^(R)lot is cast into the lap,
But its every ^(S)decision is from the Lord.