Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 16 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Arrangements of the heart [are] of man, || An answer of the tongue from YHWH.
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 pure in his own eyes, || And YHWH is pondering the spirits.
2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the motives.
3 Roll your works to YHWH, || And your purposes are established,
3 Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall succeed.
4 YHWH has worked all things for Himself, || And also the wicked—for a day of evil.
4 Yahweh has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5 Every proud one of heart [is] an abomination to YHWH, || Hand to hand—he is not acquitted.
5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh; they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6 Iniquity is pardoned in kindness and truth, || And in the fear of YHWH || Turn aside 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 please YHWH, even his enemies, || He causes to 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 abundance of increase without justice.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
9 The heart of man devises his way, || And YHWH establishes his step.
9 A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps.
10 An oath [is] on the lips of a king, || In judgment his mouth does not trespass.
10 Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.
11 A just beam and balances [are] YHWH’s, || All the stones of the bag [are] His work.
11 Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
12 Doing wickedness [is] an abomination to kings, || For a throne is established by righteousness.
12 It is an abomination for kings to do wrong, for the throne is established by righteousness.
13 Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings, || And he loves whoever is speaking uprightly,
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
14 The fury of a king [is] messengers of death, || And a wise man pacifies it.
14 The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15 In the light of a king’s face [is] life, || And his goodwill [is] as a cloud of the spring rain.
15 In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16 To get wisdom—how much better than gold, || And to get understanding—to be chosen [more] 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 A highway of the upright [is] to turn from evil, || Whoever is preserving his soul is watching his way.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride [is] before destruction, || And before stumbling—a haughty spirit.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19 Better is humility of spirit with the poor, || Than to apportion spoil with the proud.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20 The wise in any matter finds good, || And whoever is trusting in YHWH, O his blessedness.
20 He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in Yahweh is blessed.
21 For the wise in heart is called intelligent, || And sweetness of lips increases learning.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22 Understanding [is] a fountain of life to its possessors, || The instruction of fools is folly.
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 causes his mouth to act wisely, || And he increases learning by his lips,
23 The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
24 Sayings of pleasantness [are] a honeycomb, || Sweet to the soul, and healing to the bone.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25 There is a way right before a man, || And its latter end—ways of death.
25 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
26 A laboring man has labored for himself, || For his mouth has caused [him] to bend over it.
26 The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him on.
27 A worthless man is preparing evil, || And on his lips [is] as a burning fire.
27 A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A contrary man sends forth contention, || A tale-bearer is separating a familiar friend.
28 A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor, || And causes him to go in 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 Consulting his eyes to devise contrary things, || Moving his lips he has accomplished evil.
30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31 Grey hairs [are] a crown of beauty, || It is found in the way of righteousness.
31 Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32 Better [is] the [one] slow to anger than the mighty, || And the ruler over his spirit than he who is taking a city.
32 One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the center, || And all its judgment [is] from YHWH!
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)