Proverbs 21

¹In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.

² A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.

³ To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴ Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

⁶ A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.^[a]

⁷ The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
    for they refuse to do what is right.

⁸ The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

⁹ Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

¹⁰ The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.

¹¹ When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.

¹² The Righteous One^[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
    and brings the wicked to ruin.

¹³ Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out and not be answered.

¹⁴ A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.

¹⁵ When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.

¹⁶ Whoever strays from the path of prudence
    comes to rest in the company of the dead.

¹⁷ Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.

¹⁸ The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright.

¹⁹ Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.

²⁰ The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
    but fools gulp theirs down.

²¹ Whoever pursues righteousness and love
    finds life, prosperity^[c] and honor.

²² One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

²³ Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
    keep themselves from calamity.

²⁴ The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—
    behaves with insolent fury.

²⁵ The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
    because his hands refuse to work.
²⁶ All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous give without sparing.

²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!

²⁸ A false witness will perish,
    but a careful listener will testify successfully.

²⁹ The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.

³⁰ There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord.

³¹ The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but victory rests with the Lord.