Proverbs 21

1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs the heart.

3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.

6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.

8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

10 The wicked man craves evil;
his neighbor gets no mercy from him.

11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.

12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.

13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered.

14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.

16 A man who strays from the path of understanding
comes to rest in the company of the dead.

17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.

19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.

21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.

22 A wise man attacks the city of the mighty
and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.

23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity.

24 The proud and arrogant man—“Mocker” is his name;
he behaves with overweening pride.

25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.

26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.

27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!

28 A false witness will perish,
and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.

29 A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but an upright man gives thought to his ways.

30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord.

31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.

PROVERBS 21

The [Lord] Is In Charge

1  t The [Lord] controls rulers,
just as he determines
the course of rivers.

2 We may think we are doing
the right thing,
but the [Lord] always knows
what is in our hearts.

3 Doing what is right and fair
pleases the [Lord]
more than an offering.

4 Evil people are proud
and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
they produce.t

5 If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
you will end up poor.

6 Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
and no less than suicide.t

7 You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
and refusing to live right.

8 All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
will do right.

9  t It's better to stay outside
on the roof of your house
than to live inside
with a nagging wife.

10 Evil people want to do wrong,
even to their friends.

11 An ignorant fool learns
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being instructed.

12 God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
and will punish them.

13 If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
when you cry out for help.

14 A secret bribe will save you
from someone's fierce anger.

15 When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
and crooks are terrified.

16 If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
in the grave.

17 Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
will lose all they have.

18 God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
will pay the price.

19 It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
complaining wife.

20 Be sensible and store up
precious treasures—
don't waste them
like a fool.

21 If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
and goodness and honor.

22 One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
and capture their fortress.

23 Watching what you say
can save you
a lot of trouble.

24 If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
“You're a snob!”

25 If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
it could be fatal.

26 But people who obey God
are always generous.

27  t The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
with evil motives.

28 If you tell lies in court,
you are done for;
only a reliable witness
can do the job.

29 Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
before they take a step.

30 No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
you can't defeat the [Lord].

31 Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
the [Lord] will always win.