Proverbs 21

¹In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water

that he channels toward all who please him.

²A person may think their own ways are right,

but the Lord weighs the heart.

³To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead to profit

as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶A fortune made by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.

⁷The violence of the wicked will drag them away,

for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,

but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹Better to live on a corner of the roof

than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰The wicked crave evil;

their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;

by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked

and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor

will also cry out and not be answered.

¹⁴A gift given in secret soothes anger,

and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

¹⁵When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous

but terror to evildoers.

¹⁶Whoever strays from the path of prudence

comes to rest in the company of the dead.

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;

whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

¹⁸The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,

and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹Better to live in a desert

than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.

²⁰The wise store up choice food and olive oil,

but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and love

finds life, prosperity and honor.

²²One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty

and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³Those who guard their mouths and their tongues

keep themselves from calamity.

²⁴The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—

behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,

because his hands refuse to work.

²⁶All day long he craves for more,

but the righteous give without sparing.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—

how much more so when brought with evil intent!

²⁸A false witness will perish,

but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹The wicked put up a bold front,

but the upright give thought to their ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan

that can succeed against the Lord.

³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but victory rests with the Lord.