Proverbs 16
1 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.
The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.
2 People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.
All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
3 (Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.
Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.
4 Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.
The LORD has made everything for His purpose— even the wicked for the day of disaster.
5 Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].
Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; be assured that he will not go unpunished.
6 Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).
By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
7 When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.
When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
8 It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.
Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.
9 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
10 [If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.
A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice.
11 Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.
Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; all the weights in the bag are His concern.
12 Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.
Wicked behavior is detestable to kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.
13 Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.
Righteous lips are a king’s delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.
14 If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.
The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15 If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].
When a king’s face brightens, there is life; his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
16 Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
17 Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.
The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.
18 Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).
It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.
Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
21 People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].
The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant speech promotes instruction.
22 Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.
Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, but the discipline of fools is folly.
23 Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].
The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
24 Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
26 If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward.
27 Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].
A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.
28 Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.
A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends.
29 Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.
A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.
30 People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.
He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.
31 Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.
32 Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.
He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
33 People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
