Through My Bible Yr 03 – October 05

²⁴ The path of life leads upward for a person with insight,
so that he may turn away from hell ^[1] below.
²⁵ The Lord tears down the house of the arrogant,
but he maintains the property line of a widow.
²⁶ The plans of the wicked are disgusting ^[2] to the Lord,
but pleasant words are pure to him.
²⁷ Someone who is greedy for gain brings trouble to his own household,
but a person who hates bribes will live.
²⁸ The heart of a righteous person ponders his answer,
but the mouth of a wicked person gushes evil.
²⁹ The Lord is far away from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
³⁰ A twinkle in the eyes delights the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
³¹ An ear that listens to a life-giving warning
    will find a home among the wise.
³² A person who ignores discipline despises himself,
but a person who listens to a warning acquires good sense.
³³ The fear of the Lord gives discipline and wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 16

¹ A person may have thought things through in his heart,
but an apt answer from his tongue comes from the Lord.
² All of a person’s ways are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs motives.
³ Commit what you do to the Lord,
and your plans will be established.
⁴ The Lord has made everything for his ^[3] own purpose,
even a wicked person for a day of trouble.
⁵ Anyone with an arrogant attitude is disgusting to the Lord.
Be sure of this: That person will not go unpunished.
⁶ Through mercy and truth, guilt is atoned for,
and through the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.
⁷ When the Lord is pleased with a man’s ways,
he causes even his enemies to live at peace with him.

⁸ Better a little with righteousness
    than a large income without justice.
⁹ A person’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord makes his steps secure.
¹⁰ The king’s lips speak for God,
so his mouth should not betray justice.
¹¹ An accurate balance and scales belong to the Lord.
He has made all the weights in the bag.
¹² It is disgusting for kings to commit wickedness,
because a throne is established by righteousness.
¹³ Kings approve of righteous lips.
They love a person who speaks upright things.
¹⁴ The king’s anger is a messenger of death,
but a wise person can appease it.
¹⁵ There is life in the light from a king’s face,
and his favor is like a cloud that brings spring rain.
¹⁶ How much better to acquire wisdom rather than gold,
and to acquire understanding is more desirable than silver.
¹⁷ The highway followed by upright people turns away from evil.
The person who guards his way preserves his life.
¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit precedes a fall.
¹⁹ Better to share a humble spirit with the oppressed
    than to share stolen goods with the haughty.
²⁰ Whoever gives careful consideration to a matter ^[4] will succeed,
and the person who trusts the Lord will be blessed.
²¹ A wise heart will be called discerning,
and appealing speech increases learning.
²² Good sense is a fountain of life for the person who possesses it,
but the instruction given by stubborn fools is stupidity.
²³ A wise heart produces edifying speech.
It makes a person’s lips more persuasive.
²⁴ Pleasant speech is honey from a honeycomb,
sweet to the spirit and healing for the bones.

²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man,
but it ends up being the road to death.
²⁶ A laborer’s appetite labors for him,
because the hunger of his mouth drives him on.
²⁷ A worthless scoundrel constantly plots evil,
and from his lips comes a scorching fire.
²⁸ A perverse ^[5] man spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates intimate friends.
²⁹ A violent man entices his neighbor.
He leads him on a way that is not good.
³⁰ A person who squints his eyes is plotting something perverse.
One who purses his lips has completed some evil plot.
³¹ Gray hair is a beautiful crown.
It is found on the way to righteousness.
³² Better to be patient than to be a hero,
better to control your temper than to capture a city.
³³ Lots are cast into the pouch, ^[6]
but the Lord determines all their decisions.

Footnotes

1. Proverbs 15:24 Or the grave. The Hebrew word is sheol.
2. Proverbs 15:26 Or are an abomination
3. Proverbs 16:4 Or its
4. Proverbs 16:20 Or to a word or to God’s word
5. Proverbs 16:28 Or twisted
6. Proverbs 16:33 Or lap. It is not clear what this line means. It may allude to the pouch containing the Urim and Thummim, which the high priest wore on his chest.