21 Streams of water are the heart[a] of a king in the hand of Yahweh;
wherever[b] he will desire, he will turn.
2 Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes,
but Yahweh weighs hearts.[c]
3 Doing righteousness and justice is more acceptable
to Yahweh than sacrifice.
4 Haughtiness of the eyes and pride of heart,
the lamp of the wicked are sin.
5 The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance,
but all who are hasty, only to want.
6 He who makes treasure by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and seeker[d] of death.
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
for they refuse to do justice.
8 Crooked is the way of a man and a foreigner,
but the pure is upright in his conduct.
9 Better to dwell on the corner of a roof
than to share a house with a woman[e] of contention.
10 The soul[f] of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor will not find mercy in his eyes.
11 With the punishment of a scoffer, the simple will become wise,
and with the instruction of the wise, he will obtain knowledge.
12 The righteous observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked to ruin.
13 He who closes his ear from the cry of the poor,
he also will cry out and not be heard.
14 A gift in secret[g] will avert anger,[h]
and a concealed bribe,[i] strong wrath.
15 It is a joy to the righteous to do justice,
but dismay to those who do evil.
16 Whoever wanders from the way of understanding,
in the assembly of the dead[j] he will rest.
17 A man of want is he who loves pleasure;
he who loves wine and oil[k] will not become rich.
18 A ransom for the righteous is the wicked,
and the faithless instead of the upright.
19 Better to live in a land of wilderness
than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.
20 Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise,
but the foolish person[l] will devour them.[m]
21 He who pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22 To a city of warriors, the wise ascends,
and he will bring down the stronghold—its object of trust.
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
he guards his life[n] from danger.
24 The proud, haughty one: “scoffer” is his name;
he acts with arrogance of pride.
25 The craving of a lazy person will kill him,
for his hands refuse to work.[o]
26 All day[p] he craves a craving,
but the righteous will give and not hold back.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it in divisiveness!
28 A false witness will perish,
but a man who listens will testify with[q] success.
29 A wicked man is strong in his countenance,[r]
but the upright will appoint his paths.
30 There is no wisdom, nor understanding,
nor counsel to oppose Yahweh.
31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but to Yahweh belongs the victory.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:1 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 21:1 Literally “upon all that”
- Proverbs 21:2 Or “minds”
- Proverbs 21:6 Hebrew “seekers”
- Proverbs 21:9 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 21:10 Or “soul, life, throat”
- Proverbs 21:14 Hebrew “the secret”
- Proverbs 21:14 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 21:14 Literally “bribe in the bosom”
- Proverbs 21:16 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 21:17 Or “fat”
- Proverbs 21:20 Or “foolish of mankind”
- Proverbs 21:20 Literally “it”
- Proverbs 21:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 21:25 Or “make”
- Proverbs 21:26 Literally “All the day”
- Proverbs 21:28 Hebrew “to the”
- Proverbs 21:29 Literally “his face”