16:8 Better to have a little with righteousness 1
than to have abundant income without justice. 2
16:9 A person 3 plans his course, 4
but the Lord directs 5 his steps. 6
16:10 The divine verdict 7 is in the words 8 of the king,
his pronouncements 9 must not act treacherously 10 against justice.
16:11 Honest scales and balances 11 are from the Lord;
all the weights 12 in the bag are his handiwork.
16:12 Doing wickedness 13 is an abomination to kings,
because a throne 14 is established in righteousness.
16:13 The delight of kings 15 is righteous counsel, 16
and they love the one who speaks 17 uprightly. 18
16:14 A king’s wrath 19 is like 20 a messenger of death, 21
but a wise person appeases it. 22
16:15 In the light of the king’s face 23 there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds 24 of the spring rain. 25
16:16 How much better it is to acquire 26 wisdom than gold;
to acquire understanding is more desirable 27 than silver.
16:17 The highway 28 of the upright is to turn 29 away from evil;
the one who guards 30 his way safeguards his life. 31
16:18 Pride 32 goes 33 before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall. 34
16:19 It is better to be lowly in spirit 35 with the afflicted
than to share the spoils 36 with the proud.
16:20 The one who deals wisely 37 in a matter 38 will find success, 39
and blessed 40 is the one who trusts in the Lord. 41
16:21 The one who is wise in heart 42 is called 43 discerning,
and kind speech 44 increases persuasiveness. 45
16:22 Insight 46 is like 47 a life-giving fountain 48 to the one who possesses it,
but folly leads to the discipline of fools. 49
16:23 A wise person’s heart 50 makes his speech wise 51
and it adds persuasiveness 52 to his words. 53
16:24 Pleasant words are like 54 a honeycomb, 55
sweet to the soul and healing 56 to the bones.
16:25 There is a way that seems right to a person, 57
but its end is the way that leads to death. 58
16:26 A laborer’s 59 appetite 60 works on his behalf, 61
for his hunger 62 urges him to work. 63
16:27 A wicked scoundrel 64 digs up 65 evil,
and his slander 66 is like a scorching fire. 67
16:28 A perverse person 68 spreads dissension,
and a gossip separates the closest friends. 69
16:29 A violent person 70 entices 71 his neighbor,
and leads him down a path that is terrible. 72
16:30 The one who winks his eyes 73 devises perverse things,
and 74 one who compresses his lips 75 brings about 76 evil.
16:31 Gray hair is like 77 a crown of glory; 78
it is attained 79 in the path of righteousness. 80
16:32 Better to be slow to anger 81 than to be a mighty warrior,
and one who controls his temper 82 is better than 83 one who captures a city. 84
16:33 The dice are thrown into the lap, 85
but their every decision 86 is from the Lord. 87