¹To humans belong the plans of the heart,

but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.

²All a person’s ways seem pure to them,

but motives are weighed by the Lord .

³Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and he will establish your plans.

⁴The Lord works out everything to its proper end—

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

⁵The Lord detests all the proud of heart.

Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

⁶Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;

through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

⁷When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,

he causes their enemies to make peace with them.

⁸Better a little with righteousness

than much gain with injustice.

⁹In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

¹⁰The lips of a king speak as an oracle,

and his mouth does not betray justice.

¹¹Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord ;

all the weights in the bag are of his making.

¹²Kings detest wrongdoing,

for a throne is established through righteousness.

¹³Kings take pleasure in honest lips;

they value the one who speaks what is right.

¹⁴A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,

but the wise will appease it.

¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, it means life;

his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.

¹⁶How much better to get wisdom than gold,

to get insight rather than silver!

¹⁷The highway of the upright avoids evil;

those who guard their ways preserve their lives.

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed

than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,[#16:20 Or whoever speaks prudently finds what is good]

and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord .

²¹The wise in heart are called discerning,

and gracious words promote instruction.

²²Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,

but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,

and their lips promote instruction.

²⁴Gracious words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

²⁵There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.

²⁶The appetite of laborers works for them;

their hunger drives them on.

²⁷A scoundrel plots evil,

and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.

²⁸A perverse person stirs up conflict,

and a gossip separates close friends.

²⁹A violent person entices their neighbor

and leads them down a path that is not good.

³⁰Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity;

whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

³¹Gray hair is a crown of splendor;

it is attained in the way of righteousness.

³²Better a patient person than a warrior,

one with self-control than one who takes a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap,

but its every decision is from the Lord .