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Proverbs · Catholic Public Domain Version

Proverbs 16 Catholic Public Domain Version

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  • Catholic
  • OT: Latin Vulgate
  • NT: Latin Vulgate
  • Catholic (73 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2009
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (3)
CPDV Catholic Public Domain Version
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 It is for man to prepare the soul, and for the Lord to govern the tongue.
1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.
2 All the ways of a man are open to his eyes; the Lord is the one who weighs spirits.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the motives.
3 Open your works to the Lord, and your intentions will be set in order.
3 Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.
4 The Lord has wrought all things because of himself. Likewise the impious is for the evil day.
4 Yahweh has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 All the arrogant are an abomination to the Lord. Even if hand will be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice. And this is more acceptable with God than to immolate sacrifices.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh; they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6 By mercy and truth, iniquity is redeemed. And by the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.
6 By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
7 When the ways of man will please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.
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 justice, than many fruits with iniquity.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
9 The heart of man disposes his way. But it is for Lord to direct his steps.
9 A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
10 Foreknowledge is in the lips of the king. His mouth shall not err in judgment.
10 Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.
11 Weights and scales are judgments of the Lord. And all the stones in the bag are his work.
11 Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 Those who act impiously are abominable to the king. For the throne is made firm by justice.
12 It is an abomination for kings to do wrong, for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Just lips are the will of kings. He who speaks honestly shall be loved.
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
14 The indignation of a king is a herald of death. And the wise man will appease it.
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the cheerfulness of the king’s countenance, there is life. And his clemency is like belated rain.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16 Possess wisdom, for it is better than gold. And acquire prudence, for it is more precious 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 path of the just turns away from evils. He who guards his soul preserves his way.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Arrogance precedes destruction. And the spirit is exalted before a fall.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the arrogant.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20 The learned in word shall find good things. And whoever hopes in the Lord is blessed.
20 He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
21 Whoever is wise in heart shall be called prudent. And whoever is sweet in eloquence shall attain to what is greater.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22 Learning is a fountain of life to one who possesses it. The doctrine of the foolish is senseless.
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 shall instruct his mouth and add grace to his lips.
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
24 Careful words are a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and healthful 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 right to a man, and its end result leads to death.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
26 The soul of the laborer labors for himself, because his mouth has driven him to it.
26 The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him on.
27 The impious man digs up evil, and in his lips is a burning fire.
27 A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A perverse man stirs up lawsuits. And one who is verbose divides leaders.
28 A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.
29 A man of iniquity entices his friend, and he leads him along a way that is not good.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever, with astonished eyes, thinks up depravities, biting his lips, accomplishes evil.
30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31 Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32 A patient man is better than a strong one. And whoever rules his soul is better than one who assaults cities.
32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33 Lots are cast into the lap, but they are tempered by 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. 1 Proverbs 19:21; Proverbs 16:9; Luke 21:14–15; Philippians 2:13; Proverbs 20:24
  2. 2 Proverbs 21:2; 1 Samuel 16:7; Luke 16:15; Proverbs 30:12; Jeremiah 17:10
  3. 3 Psalm 37:4–5; Proverbs 3:6; Psalm 55:22; Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7
  4. 4 2 Peter 2:9; Isaiah 43:21; Romans 9:22; Isaiah 43:7; 1 Peter 2:8
  5. 5 Proverbs 6:16–17; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 11:21; Romans 2:8–9; James 4:6
  6. 6 Proverbs 14:16; Job 28:28; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Daniel 4:27; Luke 11:41
  7. 7 Romans 8:31; 1 John 3:22; 2 Chronicles 17:10; Colossians 1:10; Jeremiah 15:11
  8. 8 Proverbs 15:16; Psalm 37:16; 1 Timothy 6:6–9; Jeremiah 17:11; Proverbs 21:6–7
  9. 9 Proverbs 19:21; Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 16:1; Proverbs 20:24; Jeremiah 10:23
  10. 10 Isaiah 32:1–2; Genesis 44:5; Genesis 44:15; Hosea 10:4; Deuteronomy 17:18–20
  11. 11 Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 20:23; Deuteronomy 25:13–15; Leviticus 19:35–36
  12. 12 Proverbs 25:5; Proverbs 29:14; Proverbs 28:9; Luke 12:48; Psalm 99:4
  13. 13 Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 22:11; Psalm 101:5–7
  14. 14 Proverbs 20:2; Proverbs 19:12; Ecclesiastes 10:4; Luke 12:4–5; Proverbs 17:11
  15. 15 Psalm 72:6; Job 29:23–24; Hosea 6:3; Acts 2:28; Psalm 21:6
  16. 16 Proverbs 8:10–11; Matthew 16:26; Proverbs 8:19; Luke 12:21; Proverbs 3:15–18
  17. 17 Isaiah 35:8; Proverbs 19:16; Proverbs 10:9; Jude 21; Revelation 3:10
  18. 18 Proverbs 11:2; Isaiah 2:11–12; Proverbs 18:12; Obadiah 3–4; Proverbs 29:23
  19. 19 Matthew 5:3; Psalm 138:6; Isaiah 57:15; Exodus 15:9; Psalm 34:18
  20. 20 Jeremiah 17:7–8; Isaiah 30:18; Psalm 2:12; Isaiah 26:3–4; Psalm 34:8
  21. 21 Proverbs 16:23–24; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 15:7; Proverbs 27:9; James 3:17
  22. 22 Proverbs 13:14; John 6:63; Matthew 15:14; John 5:24; Proverbs 18:4
  23. 23 Proverbs 15:28; Matthew 12:34–35; Proverbs 22:17–18; Colossians 3:16; Psalm 45:1
  24. 24 Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 24:13–14; Proverbs 4:22; Proverbs 25:11–12; Proverbs 23:16
  25. 25 Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 12:15; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Proverbs 12:26; John 7:47–49
  26. 26 Ecclesiastes 6:7; Proverbs 14:23; Proverbs 9:12; 2 Thessalonians 3:8–12; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12
  27. 27 James 3:6; Proverbs 6:14; Isaiah 5:18; Psalm 17:14–15; Psalm 52:2–4
  28. 28 Proverbs 17:9; James 3:14–16; Romans 1:29; Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 6:14
  29. 29 Proverbs 2:12–15; 2 Peter 3:17; Proverbs 12:26; Proverbs 3:31; Proverbs 1:10–14
  30. 30 Proverbs 6:12–14; Matthew 13:15; Proverbs 16:27; Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 14:7–8
  31. 31 Proverbs 20:29; Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 3:1–2; Proverbs 17:6; 1 Samuel 12:2–5
  32. 32 James 1:19; Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 25:28; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 19:11
  33. 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).

  1. Quotes verse 16:32 Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm VII)

    … 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)