Proverbs 21

¹The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he turns it wherever he will.

²All deeds are right in the sight of the doer,

but the Lord weighs the heart.

³To do righteousness and justice

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart—

the lamp of the wicked—are sin.

⁵The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,

but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.

⁶The getting of treasures by a lying tongue

is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

⁷The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,

because they refuse to do what is just.

⁸The way of the guilty is crooked,

but the conduct of the pure is right.

⁹It is better to live in a corner of the housetop

than in a house shared with a contentious wife.

¹⁰The souls of the wicked desire evil;

their neighbors find no mercy in their eyes.

¹¹When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser;

when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge.

¹²The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;

he casts the wicked down to ruin.

¹³If you close your ear to the cry of the poor,

you will cry out and not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret averts anger;

and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

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

but dismay to evildoers.

¹⁶Whoever wanders from the way of understanding

will rest in the assembly of the dead.

¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;

whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,

and the faithless for the upright.

¹⁹It is better to live in a desert land

than with a contentious and fretful wife.

²⁰Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise,

but the fool devours it.

²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness

will find life and honor.

²²One wise person went up against a city of warriors

and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted.

²³To watch over mouth and tongue

is to keep out of trouble.

²⁴The proud, haughty person, named “Scoffer,”

acts with arrogant pride.

²⁵The craving of the lazy person is fatal,

for lazy hands refuse to labor.

²⁶All day long the wicked covet,

but the righteous give and do not hold back.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;

how much more when brought with evil intent.

²⁸A false witness will perish,

but a good listener will testify successfully.

²⁹The wicked put on a bold face,

but the upright give thought to their ways.

³⁰No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel,

can avail against the Lord.

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

but the victory belongs to the Lord.