Proverbs 16:2-12

2 All the ways of men be open to the eyes of God (All the ways of people be before God); the Lord is a weigher of spirits, that is, of wills, yielding to man after his deservings.

3 Show thy works to the Lord; and thy thoughts shall be (ad)dressed. (Commit thy plans to the Lord; and they shall succeed.)

4 The Lord wrought all things for himself; and he made ready a wicked man to the evil day. (The Lord made everything for its own purpose; and he made the wicked for the day of evil.)

5 Abomination of the Lord is each proud man (Each proud person is an abomination to the Lord); yea, though the hand is to the hand, he shall not be innocent. The beginning of [the] good way is to do rightwiseness; forsooth it is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices.

6 Wickedness is again-bought by mercy and truth; and men boweth away from evil by the dread of the Lord. (Wickedness is redeemed by love and faithfulness; and people can turn away from evil by the fear of the Lord/through reverence for the Lord.)

7 When the ways of (a) man please the Lord, he shall convert, yea, his enemies to peace.

8 Better is a little with rightfulness, than many fruits with wickedness.

9 The heart of a man shall dispose his way; but it pertaineth to the Lord to (ad)dress his steps. (A person's heart shall ordain his way; but it pertaineth to the Lord to direct his steps.)

10 Divining is in the lips of a king; his mouth shall not err in doom. (The king speaketh with divine authority; his mouth shall not err in any judgement.)

11 The dooms of the Lord be weight and balance; and his works be all the stones of the world. (The Lord's justice be equal weights and an honest balance; yea, each of the stones in the world is his own work.)

12 They that do wickedly be abominable to the king; for the throne of the realm is made steadfast by rightfulness.

Proverbs 16:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 6

This chapter gives an account of the building of the temple, for which preparations were before made and begins with the time of its building, 1Ki 6:1; gives the dimensions of it and the porch before it, 1Ki 6:2,3; observes the windows in it and chambers about it, 1Ki 6:4-10; and while it was building, Solomon had a word from the Lord relative to it, 1Ki 6:11-14; and then the account goes on concerning the walls of the house, and the flooring of it, 1Ki 6:15-18; and the oracle in it, and the cherubim in that, 1Ki 6:19-30; and the doors into it, and the carved work of them, 1Ki 6:31-36; and the chapter is concluded with observing the time when it was begun and finished 1Ki 6:37,38.