1 Thepreparations of the heartbelongto man,
# But the answer of the tongueisfrom theLord.
2 All the ways of a manarepure in his owneyes,
But theLordweighs the spirits.
3 Commit your works to theLord,
And your thoughts will be established.
4 TheLordhas made all for Himself,
# Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.
5 Everyone proud in heartisan abomination to theLord;
Thoughtheyjoinforces, none will go unpunished.
6 In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
# Andby the fear of theLordonedeparts from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please theLord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Betterisa little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.
9 A man’s heart plans his way,
# But theLorddirects his steps.
10 Divinationison the lips of the king;
His mouth must not transgress in judgment.
11 Honest weights and scalesaretheLord’s;
All the weights in the bagareHis work.
12 Itisan abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
# Fora throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lipsarethe delight of kings,
And they love him who speakswhatisright.
14 As messengers of deathisthe king’s wrath,
# But a wise man willappease it.
15 In the light of the king’s faceislife,
# And his favorislike acloud of the latter rain.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold!
And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the uprightisto depart from evil;
He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pridegoesbefore destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Bettertobeof a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
# And whoevertrusts in theLord, happyishe.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understandingisa wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of foolsisfolly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant wordsarelikea honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a waythatseemsright to a man,
# But its endisthe way ofdeath.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
# For hishungrymouth driveshimon.
27 An ungodly man digs up evil,
# Anditison his lips like a burningfire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
# Anda whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a waythatisnot good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He purses his lipsandbrings about evil.
31 The silver-haired headisa crown of glory,
Ifit is found in the way of righteousness.
32 Hewhoisslow to angerisbetter than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decisionisfrom theLord.