Proverbs 21
1 The king's heart in the hands of the Lord is like the water streams, and by him it is turned in any direction at his pleasure.
As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it whithersoever he may desire to point out.
2 Every way of a man seems right to himself, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.
Every man seems to himself righteous; but the Lord directs the hearts.
3 To do what is right and true is more pleasing to the Lord than an offering.
To do justly and to speak truth, are more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices.
4 A high look and a heart of pride, of the evil-doer is sin.
A high-minded man is stout-hearted in [his] pride; and the lamp of the wicked is sin.
5 The purposes of the man of industry have their outcome only in wealth; but one who is over-quick in acting will only come to be in need.
6 He who gets stores of wealth by a false tongue, is going after what is only breath, and searching for death.
He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity [on] to the snares of death.
7 By their violent acts the evil-doers will be pulled away, because they have no desire to do what is right.
Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly; for they refuse to do justly.
8 Twisted is the way of him who is full of crime; but as for him whose heart is clean, his work is upright.
To the froward God sends froward ways; for his works are pure and right.
9 It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house.
[It is] better to dwell in a corner on the house-top, than in plastered [rooms] with unrighteousness, and in an open house.
10 The desire of the evil-doer is fixed on evil: he has no kind feeling for his neighbour.
The soul of the ungodly shall not be pitied by any man.
11 When the man of pride undergoes punishment, the simple man gets wisdom; and by watching the wise he gets knowledge.
When an intemperate man is punished the simple becomes wiser: and a wise man understanding will receive knowledge.
12 The Upright One, looking on the house of the evil-doer, lets sinners be overturned to their destruction.
A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly: and despises the ungodly for their wickedness.
13 He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no answer to his cry for help.
He that stops his ears from hearing the poor, himself also shall cry, and there shall be none to hear [him].
14 By a secret offering wrath is turned away, and the heat of angry feelings by money in the folds of the robe.
A secret gift calms anger: but he that forbears to give stirs up strong wrath.
15 It is a joy to the good man to do right, but it is destruction to the workers of evil.
[It is] the joy of the righteous to do judgment: but a holy [man] is abominable with evil-doers.
16 The wanderer from the way of knowledge will have his resting-place among the shades.
A man that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of giants.
17 The lover of pleasure will be a poor man: the lover of wine and oil will not get wealth.
A poor man loves mirth, loving wine and oil in abundance;
18 The evil-doer will be given as a price for the life of the good man, and the worker of deceit in the place of the upright.
and a transgressor is the abomination of a righteous man.
19 It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.
[It is] better to dwell in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and talkative and passionate woman.
20 There is a store of great value in the house of the wise, but it is wasted by the foolish man.
A desirable treasure will rest on the mouth of the wise; but foolish men will swallow it up.
21 He who goes after righteousness and mercy will get life, righteousness, and honour.
The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory.
22 A wise man goes up into the town of the strong ones, and overcomes its strength in which they put their faith.
A wise man assaults strong cities, and demolishes the fortress in which the ungodly trusted.
23 He who keeps watch over his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
He that keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from trouble.
24 The man of pride, lifted up in soul, is named high-hearted; he is acting in an outburst of pride.
A bold and self-willed and insolent [man] is called a pest: and he that remembers injuries is a transgressor.
25 The desire of the hater of work is death to him, for his hands will do no work.
Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.
26 All the day the sinner goes after his desire: but the upright man gives freely, keeping nothing back.
An ungodly man entertains evil desires all the day: but the righteous is unsparingly merciful and compassionate.
27 The offering of evil-doers is disgusting: how much more when they give it with an evil purpose!
The sacrifices of the ungodly are abomination to the Lord, for they offer them wickedly.
28 A false witness will be cut off, ...
A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.
29 The evil-doer makes his face hard, but as for the upright, he gives thought to his way.
An ungodly man impudently withstands with his face; but the upright man himself understands his ways.
30 Wisdom and knowledge and wise suggestions are of no use against the Lord.
There is no wisdom, there is no courage, there is no counsel against the ungodly.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of war, but power to overcome is from the Lord.
A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but help is of the Lord.
