Wisdom Exalts God

¹Go ahead and make all the plans you want,

but it’s the Lord who will ultimately direct your steps.

²We are all in love with our own opinions,

convinced they’re correct.

But the Lord is in the midst of us,

testing and probing our every motive.

³Before you do anything,

put your trust totally in God and not in yourself.

Then every plan you make will succeed.

⁴The Lord works everything together to accomplish his purpose.[#16:4 Or “for its answer.”]

Even the wicked are included in his plans—

he sets them aside for the day of disaster.

⁵Yahweh detests all the proud of heart,[#16:5 The Hebrew word for “proud” is gavah , which comes from a root word that means “locust” (as a reference to a locust swarm that devours all the crops). Pride is like a locust swarm that always hinders a true spiritual harvest within us.]

for pride attracts his punishment—

and you can count on that!

⁶You can avoid evil through surrendered worship

and the fear of God,

for the power of his faithful love

removes sin’s guilt and grip over you.

⁷When the Lord is pleased with the decisions you’ve made,

he activates grace to turn enemies into friends.

⁸It is better to have little with a heart that loves justice

than to be rich and not have God on your side.

⁹Within your heart you can make plans for your future,

but the Lord chooses the steps you take to get there.

Living like a King

¹⁰A king speaks the revelation of truth,

so he must be extraordinarily careful in the decrees that he makes.

¹¹The Lord expects you to be fair in every business deal,

for he is the one who sets the standards for righteousness.

¹²Kings and leaders despise wrongdoing,

for the true authority to rule and reign

is built on a foundation of righteousness.

¹³Kings and leaders love to hear godly counsel,

and they love those who tell them the truth.

¹⁴The anger of a king releases the messenger of death,[#16:14 See 1 Kings 2:25, 29–34, 46.]

but a wise person will know how to pacify his wrath.

¹⁵Life-giving light streams from the presence of a king,[#16:15 The Septuagint reads “The king’s son is in the light of life.”]

and his favor is showered upon those who please him.

¹⁶Everyone wants gold, but wisdom’s worth is far greater.[#16:16 The Septuagint is “nests of wisdom.”]

Silver is sought after,

but a heart of understanding yields a greater return.

¹⁷Repenting from evil places you on the highway of holiness.

Protect purity and you protect your life.

¹⁸Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure.

The higher you lift yourself up in pride,

the harder you’ll fall in disgrace.

¹⁹It’s better to be meek and lowly and live among the poor

than to live high and mighty among the rich and famous.

²⁰One skilled in business discovers prosperity,

but the one who trusts in God is blessed beyond belief!

Walking with Wisdom

²¹The one with a wise heart is called “discerning,”

and speaking sweetly to others

makes your teaching even more convincing.

²²Wisdom is a deep well of understanding

opened up within you as a fountain of life for others,

but it’s senseless to try to instruct a fool.

²³Winsome words pour from a heart of wisdom,

adding value to all you teach.

²⁴Nothing is more appealing

than speaking beautiful, life-giving words.

For they release sweetness to our souls

and inner healing to our spirits.

²⁵Before every person there is a path

that seems like the right one to take,

but it leads straight to hell!

²⁶Life motivation comes from the deep longings of the heart,

and the passion to see them fulfilled urges you onward.

²⁷A wicked scoundrel wants to dig up dirt on others,

only to spread slander and shred their reputation.

²⁸A twisted person spreads rumors;

a whispering gossip ruins good friendships.

²⁹A vicious criminal can be persuasive,

enticing others to join him as partners in crime,

but he leads them all down a despicable path.

³⁰It’s easy to tell when a wicked man

is hatching some crooked scheme—

it’s written all over his face.

His looks betray him as he gives birth to his sin.

³¹Old age with wisdom will crown you with dignity and honor,[#16:31 Or “Gray hair is a crown of splendor.” In the Hebrew culture the old were honored above all, especially if they acquired wisdom. See Lev. 19:32.]

for it takes a lifetime of righteousness to acquire it.

³²Do you want to be a mighty warrior?

It’s better to be known as one who is patient and slow to anger.

Do you want to conquer a city?

Rule over your temper before you attempt to rule a city.

³³We may toss the coin and roll the dice,

but God’s will is greater than luck.