Proverbs 16

Listen to Proverbs 16
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but 1the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
2 2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD 3 weighs the spirit.
3 4Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.
4 5The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even 6the wicked for the day of trouble.
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is 7an abomination to the LORD; 8be assured, he will not go unpunished.
6 By 9steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by 10the fear of the LORD one 11turns away from evil.
7 When a man's ways please the LORD, 12he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 13Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.
9 14The heart of man plans his way, but 15the LORD establishes his steps.
10 16An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.
11 17A 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 18the throne is established by righteousness.
13 19Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.
14 20A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will 21appease it.
15 22In the light of a king's face there is life, and his 23favor is like 24the clouds that bring the spring rain.
16 25How much better to get wisdom than 26gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than 27silver.
17 The highway of the upright 28turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.
18 29Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 30It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to 31divide the spoil with the proud.
20 Whoever gives thought to the word[a]32will discover good, and blessed is he 33who trusts in the LORD.
21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech 34increases persuasiveness.
22 Good sense is 35a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 36The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 37Gracious words are like 38a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and 39health 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 40mouth urges him on.
27 41A worthless man plots evil, and his speech[c] is like 42a scorching fire.
28 43A dishonest man spreads strife, and 44a whisperer 45separates close friends.
29 A man of violence 46entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eyes plans[d]47dishonest things; he who 48purses his lips brings evil to pass.
31 49Gray hair is 50a crown of glory; it 51is gained in a righteous life.
32 52Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 53The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is 54from the LORD.

Images for Proverbs 16

Cross References 54

  • 1. [Matthew 10:19, 20]
  • 2. Proverbs 21:2; [Proverbs 12:15]; See Proverbs 30:12
  • 3. Proverbs 24:12; See 1 Samuel 16:7
  • 4. See Psalms 37:5
  • 5. Romans 11:36
  • 6. Job 21:30; [Exodus 9:16]
  • 7. Proverbs 6:16, 17; Proverbs 8:13; Luke 16:15
  • 8. Proverbs 11:21; [Proverbs 28:20]
  • 9. Daniel 4:27
  • 10. Proverbs 14:16
  • 11. ver. 17; Job 28:28
  • 12. [Genesis 26:28; 2 Chronicles 17:10]
  • 13. See Proverbs 15:16
  • 14. [ver. 1; Proverbs 19:21]
  • 15. Proverbs 20:24; [Psalms 37:23; Jeremiah 10:23]
  • 16. [1 Kings 3:28]
  • 17. See Proverbs 11:1
  • 18. Proverbs 25:5; [Proverbs 20:28; Proverbs 29:14; Isaiah 16:5]
  • 19. [Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 22:11]
  • 20. Proverbs 19:12; Proverbs 20:2
  • 21. [Proverbs 25:15]
  • 22. [Job 29:24]
  • 23. [See ver. 13 above]
  • 24. [Psalms 72:6]; See Job 29:23
  • 25. Proverbs 8:10, 11, 19
  • 26. See Proverbs 3:14
  • 27. Proverbs 10:20
  • 28. ver. 6
  • 29. See Proverbs 11:2
  • 30. Proverbs 29:23; Isaiah 57:15
  • 31. See Exodus 15:9
  • 32. Proverbs 19:8
  • 33. See Psalms 2:12
  • 34. ver. 23
  • 35. See Proverbs 10:11
  • 36. [Psalms 37:30; Matthew 12:34]
  • 37. Proverbs 15:26
  • 38. Psalms 19:10
  • 39. See Proverbs 4:22
  • 40. [Ecclesiastes 6:7]
  • 41. [Proverbs 6:12, 14, 19]
  • 42. James 3:6
  • 43. See Proverbs 15:18
  • 44. [Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 26:20, 22]
  • 45. Proverbs 17:9
  • 46. Proverbs 1:10
  • 47. See Proverbs 2:12
  • 48. [Proverbs 6:13]
  • 49. Proverbs 20:29
  • 50. Proverbs 17:6
  • 51. See Proverbs 3:1, 2
  • 52. Proverbs 14:29; [Proverbs 19:11; Proverbs 25:28]
  • 53. [Acts 1:26]
  • 54. Proverbs 29:26

Footnotes 4

Proverbs 16 Commentaries

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.