Proverbs 21

¹The king’s heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses:

He turneth it whithersoever he will.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes;

But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.

³To do righteousness and justice

Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.

⁴A high look, and a proud heart,

Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin.

⁵The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;

But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.

⁶The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.

⁷The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away,

Because they refuse to do justice.

⁸The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked;

But as for the pure, his work is right.

⁹It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,

Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desireth evil:

His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;

And when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

¹²The righteous man considereth the house of the wicked,

How the wicked are overthrown to their ruin.

¹³Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,

He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifieth anger;

And a present in the bosom, strong wrath.

¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to do justice;

But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding

Shall rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:

He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous;

And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land,

Than with a contentious and fretful woman.

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise;

But a foolish man swalloweth it up.

²¹He that followeth after righteousness and kindness

Findeth life, righteousness, and honor.

²²A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,

And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

²³Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue

Keepeth his soul from troubles.

²⁴The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name;

He worketh in the arrogance of pride.

²⁵The desire of the sluggard killeth him;

For his hands refuse to labor.

²⁶There is that coveteth greedily all the day long;

But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!

²⁸A false witness shall perish;

But the man that heareth shall speak so as to endure.

²⁹A wicked man hardeneth his face;

But as for the upright, he establisheth his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding

Nor counsel against Jehovah.

³¹The horse is prepared against the day of battle;

But victory is of Jehovah.