Proverbs 16; Proverbs 17; Proverbs 18; 2 Corinthians 6

1 People make plans in their hearts. But the LORD controls what they say.

2 Everything a man does might seem right to him. But the LORD knows what that man is thinking.

3 Commit to the LORD everything you do. Then your plans will succeed.

4 The LORD works everything out for his own purposes. Even those who do wrong were made for a day of trouble.

5 The LORD hates all those who have proud hearts. You can be sure that they will be punished.

6 Through love and truth sin is paid for. People avoid evil when they have respect for the Lord.

7 When the way you live pleases the Lord, he makes even your enemies live at peace with you.

8 It is better to have a little and do right than to have a lot and be unfair.

9 In your heart you plan your life. But the LORD decides where your steps will take you.

10 A king might speak as if his words come from God. But what he says should not turn right into wrong.

11 Honest scales and balances come from the Lord. He made all of the weights in the bag.

12 A king hates it when his people do what is wrong. A ruler is made secure when they do what is right.

13 Kings are pleased when what you say is honest. They value people who speak the truth.

14 An angry king can order your death. But a wise man will try to calm him down.

15 When a king's face is happy, it means life. His favor is like rain in the spring.

16 It is much better to get wisdom than gold. It is much better to choose understanding than silver.

17 The path of honest people takes them away from evil. Those who guard their ways guard their lives.

18 If you are proud, you will be destroyed. If you are proud, you will fall.

19 Suppose you are lowly in spirit and are with those who are beaten down. That's better than sharing stolen goods with those who are proud.

20 If anyone pays attention to what he is taught, he will succeed. Blessed is the person who puts his trust in the Lord.

21 Wise hearts are known for understanding what is right. Pleasant words make people want to learn more.

22 Understanding is like a fountain of life to those who have it. But foolish people are punished for the foolish things they do.

23 The hearts of wise people guide their mouths. Their words make people want to learn more.

24 Pleasant words are like honey. They are sweet to the spirit and bring healing to the body.

25 There is a way that may seem right to a man. But in the end it leads to death.

26 The hunger of a worker makes him work. His hunger drives him on.

27 A worthless man plans to do evil things. His words are like a burning fire.

28 A twisted person stirs up fights. Anyone who talks about others comes between close friends.

29 A man who wants to hurt others tries to get them to sin. He leads them down a path that isn't good.

30 When he winks with his eyes, he is planning to do wrong. When his lips are tightly closed, he is up to no good.

31 Gray hair is a glorious crown. You get it by living the right way.

32 It is better to be patient than to fight. It is better to control your temper than to take a city.

33 Lots are cast into the lap to make decisions. But everything they decide comes from the Lord.

1 It is better to eat a dry crust of bread in peace and quiet than to eat a big dinner in a house that is full of fighting.

2 A wise servant will rule over a shameful child. He will be given part of the property as if he were a family member.

3 Fire tests silver. Heat tests gold. But the LORD tests our hearts.

4 An evil person listens to evil words. A liar pays attention to words that are harmful.

5 Anyone who laughs at those who are poor makes fun of their Maker. Anyone who is happy when others suffer will be punished.

6 Grandchildren are like a crown to older people. And children are proud of their parents.

7 It isn't proper for foolish people to brag. And it certainly isn't proper for rulers to tell lies!

8 Money buys favors for those who give it. No matter where they turn, they succeed.

9 Those who erase a sin by forgiving it show love. But those who talk about it come between close friends.

10 A person who understands what is right learns more from just a warning than a foolish person learns from 100 strokes with a whip.

11 An evil person never wants to obey. An official who shows no mercy will be sent against him.

12 It is better to meet a bear whose cubs have been stolen than to meet a foolish person who is acting foolishly.

13 Evil will never leave the house of anyone who pays back evil for good.

14 Starting to argue is like making a crack in a dam. So drop the matter before a fight breaks out.

15 The LORD hates two things. He hates it when the guilty are set free. He also hates it when those who aren't guilty are punished.

16 What good is money in the hands of a foolish person? He doesn't want to become wise.

17 A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when trouble comes.

18 A man who has little sense agrees to pay what other people owe. It isn't wise to put up money for others.

19 The one who loves to argue loves to sin. The one who builds a high gate is just asking to be destroyed.

20 If your heart is twisted, you won't succeed. If your tongue tells lies, you will get into trouble.

21 It is sad to have a foolish child. The parents of a foolish person have no joy.

22 A cheerful heart makes you healthy. But a broken spirit dries you up.

23 Anyone who does wrong accepts favors in secret. Then he turns what is right into wrong.

24 Anyone who understands what is right keeps wisdom in view. But the eyes of a foolish person look everywhere else.

25 A foolish child makes his father sad and his mother sorry.

26 It isn't good to punish those who aren't guilty. It isn't good to whip officials just because they are honest.

27 Anyone who has knowledge controls his words. A man who has understanding is not easily upset.

28 We think even a foolish person is wise if he keeps silent. We think he understands what is right if he controls his tongue.

1 A person who isn't friendly looks out only for himself. He opposes all good sense.

2 A foolish person doesn't want to understand. He takes delight in saying only what he thinks.

3 People hate it when evil comes. And they refuse to honor those who bring shame.

4 The words of a person's mouth are like deep water. But the fountain of wisdom is like a flowing stream.

5 It isn't good to favor those who do wrong. And it isn't good to hold back what is fair from those who aren't guilty.

6 What a foolish person says leads to arguing. He is just asking for a beating.

7 The words of a foolish person drag him down. He is trapped by what he says.

8 The words of anyone who talks about others are like tasty bites of food. They go deep down inside you.

9 Anyone who doesn't want to work is like someone who destroys.

10 The name of the LORD is like a strong tower. Godly people run to it and are safe.

11 The wealth of rich people is like a city that makes them feel safe. They think of it as a city with walls that can't be climbed.

12 If a man's heart is proud, he will be destroyed. So don't be proud if you want to be honored.

13 To answer before listening is foolish and shameful.

14 A man's cheerful heart gives him strength when he is sick. You can't keep going if you have a broken spirit.

15 Those whose hearts understand what is right get knowledge. The ears of those who are wise listen for it.

16 A gift opens the way for the one who gives it. It helps him meet important people.

17 The first one to tell his case seems right. Then someone else comes forward and questions him.

18 Casting lots will put a stop to arguing. It will keep the strongest enemies apart.

19 A broken friendship is harder to deal with than a city that has high walls around it. And arguing is like the locked gates of a mighty city.

20 A man can fill his stomach with what he says. The words from his lips can satisfy him.

21 Your tongue has the power of life and death. Those who love to talk will eat the fruit of their words.

22 The one who finds a wife finds what is good. He receives favor from the Lord.

23 Poor people beg for mercy. But rich people answer in a mean way.

24 Even a man who has many companions can be destroyed. But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

1 We work together with God. So we are asking you not to receive God's grace and then do nothing with it.

2 He says, "When I showed you my favor, I heard you. On the day I saved you, I helped you." (Isaiah 49:8) I tell you, now is the time God shows his favor. Now is the day he saves.

3 We don't put anything in anyone's way. So no one can find fault with our work for God.

4 Instead, we make it clear that we serve God in every way. We serve him by holding steady. We stand firm in all kinds of trouble, hard times and suffering.

5 We don't give up when we are beaten or put in prison. When people stir up trouble in the streets, we continue to serve God. We work hard for him. We go without sleep and food.

6 We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love.

7 We speak the truth. We serve in the power of God. We hold the weapons of godliness in the right hand and in the left.

8 We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders.

9 We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed.

10 We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.

11 Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you.

12 We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us.

13 I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also.

14 Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends?

15 How can Christ and Satan agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

16 How can the temple of the true God and the statues of other gods agree? We are the temple of the living God. God has said, "I will live with them. I will walk among them. I will be their God. And they will be my people."(Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38; Ezekiel 37:27)

17 "So come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch anything that is not pure and clean. Then I will receive you." (Isaiah 52:11; Ezekiel 20:34,41)

18 "I will be your Father. You will be my sons and daughters,says the Lord who rules over all." (2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8)