16:1 THE PLANS of the mind {and} orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue. |
16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart). |
16:3 Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established {and} succeed. |
16:4 The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end {and} His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity {and} evil. |
16:5 Everyone proud {and} arrogant in heart is disgusting, hateful, {and} exceedingly offensive to the Lord; be assured [I pledge it] they will not go unpunished. |
16:6 By mercy {and} love, truth {and} fidelity [to God and man--not by sacrificial offerings], iniquity is purged out of the heart, and by the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord men depart from {and} avoid evil. |
16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. |
16:8 Better is a little with righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation and right standing with God) than great revenues with injustice. |
16:9 A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps {and} makes them sure. |
16:10 Divinely directed decisions are on the lips of the king; his mouth should not transgress in judgment. |
16:11 A just balance {and} scales are the Lord's; all the weights of the bag are His work [established on His eternal principles]. |
16:12 It is an abomination [to God and men] for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established {and} made secure by righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). |
16:13 Right {and} just lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right. |
16:14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it. |
16:15 In the light of the king's countenance is life, and his favor is as a cloud bringing the spring rain. |
16:16 How much better it is to get skillful {and} godly Wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. |
16:17 The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; he who guards his way preserves his life. |
16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. |
16:19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the meek {and} poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. |
16:20 He who deals wisely {and} heeds [God's] word {and} counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, {and} is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, {and} fortunate is he. |
16:21 The wise in heart are called prudent, understanding, {and} knowing, and winsome speech increases learning [in both speaker and listener]. |
16:22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to those who have it, but to give instruction to fools is folly. |
16:23 The mind of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning {and} persuasiveness to his lips. |
16:24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body. |
16:25 There is a way that seems right to a man {and} appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death. |
16:26 The appetite of the laborer works for him, for [the need of] his mouth urges him on. |
16:27 A worthless man devises {and} digs up mischief, and in his lips there is as a scorching fire. |
16:28 A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. |
16:29 The exceedingly grasping, covetous, {and} violent man entices his neighbor, leading him in a way that is not good. |
16:30 He who shuts his eyes to devise perverse things and who compresses his lips [as if in concealment] brings evil to pass. |
16:31 The hoary head is a crown of beauty {and} glory if it is found in the way of righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). |
16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, he who rules his [own] spirit than he who takes a city. |
16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him]. |