Proverbs 21:1-6

1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he 1turns it wherever he will.
2 2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD 3weighs the heart.
3 4To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
4 5Haughty eyes and a proud heart, 6the lamp[a] of the wicked, are sin.
5 The plans of 7the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is 8hasty comes 9only to poverty.
6 10The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a 11fleeting 12vapor and a 13snare of death.[b]

Cross References 13

  • 1. [Ezra 6:22]
  • 2. Proverbs 16:2; [Proverbs 12:15]
  • 3. Proverbs 24:12; [Luke 16:15; 1 Corinthians 4:4]; See 1 Samuel 16:7
  • 4. See Proverbs 15:8; 1 Samuel 15:22
  • 5. See Proverbs 6:17; Psalms 101:5
  • 6. 1 Kings 11:36
  • 7. Proverbs 10:4
  • 8. [Proverbs 19:2]
  • 9. [Proverbs 11:24; Proverbs 14:23; Proverbs 22:16]
  • 10. Proverbs 20:21; See Proverbs 10:2
  • 11. [Proverbs 13:11]
  • 12. Job 13:25
  • 13. [Proverbs 8:36]

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or the plowing
  • [b]. Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.