Proverbs 16:7-17:27

English Standard Version

⁷ When a man's ways please the Lord,
    ^(A)he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
^8 (B)Better is a little with righteousness
    than great revenues with injustice.
^9 (C)The heart of man plans his way,
    but ^(D)the Lord establishes his steps.
^10 (E)An oracle is on the lips of a king;
    his mouth does not sin in judgment.
^11 (F)A just balance and scales are the Lord's;
    all the weights in the bag are his work.
¹² It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
    for ^(G)the throne is established by righteousness.
^13 (H)Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
    and he loves him who speaks what is right.
^14 (I)A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
    and a wise man will ^(J)appease it.
^15 (K)In the light of a king's face there is life,
    and his ^(L)favor is like ^(M)the clouds that bring the spring rain.
^16 (N)How much better to get wisdom than ^(O)gold!
    To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ^(P)silver.
¹⁷ The highway of the upright ^(Q)turns aside from evil;
    whoever guards his way preserves his life.
^18 (R)Pride goes before destruction,
    and a haughty spirit before a fall.
^19 (S)It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
    than to ^(T)divide the spoil with the proud.
²⁰ Whoever gives thought to the word^{[a] (U)}will discover good,
    and blessed is he ^(V)who trusts in the Lord.
²¹ The wise of heart is called discerning,
    and sweetness of speech ^(W)increases persuasiveness.
²² Good sense is ^(X)a fountain of life to him who has it,
    but the instruction of fools is folly.
^23 (Y)The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious
    and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
^24 (Z)Gracious words are like ^(AA)a honeycomb,
    sweetness to the soul and ^(AB)health to the body.
²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.^[b]
26 A worker's appetite works for him;
    his ^(AC)mouth urges him on.
^27 (AD)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech^[c] is like ^(AE)a scorching fire.
^28 (AF)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and ^(AG)a whisperer ^(AH)separates close friends.
²⁹ A man of violence ^(AI)entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ Whoever winks his eyes plans^{[d] (AJ)}dishonest things;
    he who ^(AK)purses his lips brings evil to pass.
^31 (AL)Gray hair is ^(AM)a crown of glory;
    it ^(AN)is gained in a righteous life.
^32 (AO)Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
    and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
^33 (AP)The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is ^(AQ)from the Lord.
17 ^(AR)Better is a dry morsel with quiet
    than a house full of feasting^[e] with strife.
² A servant who deals wisely will rule over ^(AS)a son who acts shamefully
    and ^(AT)will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
^3 (AU)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    ^(AV)and the Lord tests hearts.
⁴ An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
    and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
⁵ Whoever mocks the poor ^(AW)insults his Maker;
    he who is ^(AX)glad at calamity will not go ^(AY)unpunished.
^6 (AZ)Grandchildren are ^(BA)the crown of the aged,
    and the glory of children is their fathers.
⁷ Fine speech is not ^(BB)becoming to a fool;
    still less is ^(BC)false speech to a prince.
^8 (BD)A bribe is like a magic^[f] stone in the eyes of the one who gives it;
    wherever he turns he prospers.
⁹ Whoever ^(BE)covers an offense seeks love,
    but he who repeats a matter ^(BF)separates close friends.
¹⁰ A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding
    than a hundred blows into a fool.
¹¹ An evil man seeks only rebellion,
    and ^(BG)a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
¹² Let a man meet ^(BH)a she-bear robbed of her cubs
    ^(BI)rather than a fool in his folly.
¹³ If anyone ^(BJ)returns evil for good,
    ^(BK)evil will not depart from his house.
¹⁴ The beginning of strife is like letting out water,
    so ^(BL)quit before the quarrel breaks out.
¹⁵ He who ^(BM)justifies the wicked and he who ^(BN)condemns the righteous
    are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
¹⁶ Why should a fool have money in his hand ^(BO)to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?
^17 (BP)A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for adversity.
¹⁸ One who lacks sense gives a pledge
    and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.
¹⁹ Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who ^(BQ)makes his door high seeks destruction.
^20 (BR)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.
²¹ He who ^(BS)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.
^22 (BT)A joyful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit ^(BU)dries up the bones.
²³ The wicked accepts ^(BV)a bribe in secret^[g]
    to ^(BW)pervert the ways of justice.
^24 (BX)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.
^25 (BY)A foolish son is a grief to his father
    ^(BZ)and bitterness to ^(CA)her who bore him.
^26 (CB)To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good,
    nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.
²⁷ Whoever ^(CC)restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.