Proverbs · Bible in Basic English
Proverbs 16 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The designs of the heart are man's, but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
2 All a man's ways are clean to himself; but the Lord puts men's spirits into his scales.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the motives.
3 Put your works into the hands of the Lord, and your purposes will be made certain.
3 Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.
4 The Lord has made everything for his purpose, even the sinner for the day of evil.
4 Yahweh has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Everyone who has pride in his heart is disgusting to the Lord: he will certainly not go free from punishment.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh; they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6 By mercy and good faith evil-doing is taken away: and by the fear of the Lord men are turned away from evil.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his haters be at peace with him.
7 When a man’s ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great wealth with wrongdoing.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
9 A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps.
9 A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
10 Decision is in the lips of the king: his mouth will not go wrong in judging.
10 Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.
11 True measures and scales are the Lord's: all the weights of the bag are his work.
11 Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 Evil-doing is disgusting to kings: for the seat of the ruler is based on righteousness.
12 It is an abomination for kings to do wrong, for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Lips of righteousness are the delight of kings; and he who says what is upright is dear to him.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
14 The wrath of the king is like those who give news of death, but a wise man will put peace in place of it.
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of the king's face there is life; and his approval is like a cloud of spring rain.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver.
16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to be turned away from evil: he who takes care of his way will keep his soul.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a stiff spirit before a fall.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to have a gentle spirit with the poor, than to take part in the rewards of war with men of pride.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20 He who gives attention to the law of right will get good; and whoever puts his faith in the Lord is happy.
20 He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
21 The wise-hearted will be named men of good sense: and by pleasing words learning is increased.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.
23 The heart of the wise man is the teacher of his mouth, and gives increased learning to his lips.
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasing words are like honey, sweet to the soul and new life to the bones.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25 There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
26 The desire of the working man is working for him, for his need of food is driving him on.
26 The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him on.
27 A good-for-nothing man is a designer of evil, and in his lips there is a burning fire.
27 A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A man of twisted purposes is a cause of fighting everywhere: and he who says evil secretly makes trouble between friends.
28 A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.
29 A violent man puts desire of evil into his neighbour's mind, and makes him go in a way which is not good.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He whose eyes are shut is a man of twisted purposes, and he who keeps his lips shut tight makes evil come about.
30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31 The grey head is a crown of glory, if it is seen in the way of righteousness.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to be angry is better than a man of war, and he who has control over his spirit than he who takes a town.
32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33 A thing may be put to the decision of chance, but it comes about through the Lord.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 19:21; Proverbs 16:9; Luke 21:14–15; Philippians 2:13; Proverbs 20:24
- 2 Proverbs 21:2; 1 Samuel 16:7; Luke 16:15; Proverbs 30:12; Jeremiah 17:10
- 3 Psalm 37:4–5; Proverbs 3:6; Psalm 55:22; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7
- 4 2 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 43:21; Romans 9:22; Isaiah 43:7; 1 Peter 2:8
- 5 Proverbs 6:16–17; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 11:21; Romans 2:8–9; James 4:6
- 6 Proverbs 14:16; Job 28:28; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Daniel 4:27; Luke 11:41
- 7 Romans 8:31; 1 John 3:22; 2 Chronicles 17:10; Colossians 1:10; Jeremiah 15:11
- 8 Proverbs 15:16; Psalm 37:16; 1 Timothy 6:6–9; Jeremiah 17:11; Proverbs 21:6–7
- 9 Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 16:1; Proverbs 20:24; Jeremiah 10:23
- 10 Isaiah 32:1–2; Genesis 44:5; Genesis 44:15; Hosea 10:4; Deuteronomy 17:18–20
- 11 Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 20:23; Deuteronomy 25:13–15; Leviticus 19:35–36
- 12 Proverbs 25:5; Proverbs 29:14; Proverbs 28:9; Luke 12:48; Psalm 99:4
- 13 Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 22:11; Psalm 101:5–7
- 14 Proverbs 20:2; Proverbs 19:12; Ecclesiastes 10:4; Luke 12:4–5; Proverbs 17:11
- 15 Psalm 72:6; Job 29:23–24; Hosea 6:3; Acts 2:28; Psalm 21:6
- 16 Proverbs 8:10–11; Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 8:19; Luke 12:21; Proverbs 3:15–18
- 17 Isaiah 35:8; Proverbs 19:16; Proverbs 10:9; Jude 21; Revelation 3:10
- 18 Proverbs 11:2; Isaiah 2:11–12; Proverbs 18:12; Obadiah 3–4; Proverbs 29:23
- 19 Matthew 5:3; Psalm 138:6; Isaiah 57:15; Exodus 15:9; Psalm 34:18
- 20 Jeremiah 17:7–8; Isaiah 30:18; Psalm 2:12; Isaiah 26:3–4; Psalm 34:8
- 21 Proverbs 16:23–24; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 15:7; Proverbs 27:9; James 3:17
- 22 Proverbs 13:14; John 6:63; Matthew 15:14; John 5:24; Proverbs 18:4
- 23 Proverbs 15:28; Matthew 12:34–35; Proverbs 22:17–18; Colossians 3:16; Psalm 45:1
- 24 Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 24:13–14; Proverbs 4:22; Proverbs 25:11–12; Proverbs 23:16
- 25 Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 12:15; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Proverbs 12:26; John 7:47–49
- 26 Ecclesiastes 6:7; Proverbs 14:23; Proverbs 9:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:8–12; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12
- 27 James 3:6; Proverbs 6:14; Isaiah 5:18; Psalm 17:14–15; Psalm 52:2–4
- 28 Proverbs 17:9; James 3:14–16; Romans 1:29; Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 6:14
- 29 Proverbs 2:12–15; 2 Peter 3:17; Proverbs 12:26; Proverbs 3:31; Proverbs 1:10–14
- 30 Proverbs 6:12–14; Matthew 13:15; Proverbs 16:27; Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 14:7–8
- 31 Proverbs 20:29; Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 3:1–2; Proverbs 17:6; 1 Samuel 12:2–5
- 32 James 1:19; Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 25:28; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 19:11
- 33 Proverbs 18:18; Jonah 1:7; Acts 1:26; Proverbs 29:26; 1 Samuel 14:41–42
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… which seeth in secret will reward." Lest then he repay them that recompense evil, he overcomes his anger rather than another man, being instructed too by those writings, wherein it is written, "Better is he that overcometh his anger, than he that taketh a city." "If I have repaid them that recompense me evil, may I therefore fall by my …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)