Proverbs 21:1-16

¹As partings of waters, so the heart of the king is in the power of the Lord; whither ever he will, he shall bow it. (Like out-flowings of water, (is) the king’s heart in the Lord’s hand; he shall turn it wherever he will, (or desireth).)

²Each way of a man seemeth rightful to himself; but the Lord weigheth the hearts.

³To do mercy and doom, pleaseth more the Lord, than sacrifices. (To do mercy and justice, that pleaseth the Lord more than sacrifices, or burnt offerings.)

⁴Enhancing of eyes is the alarging of the heart; the lantern of wicked men is sin. (The raising up of the eyes, and the enlarging of the heart; such sins be the lantern of the wicked.)

⁵The thoughts of a strong man be ever in abundance; but each slow man is ever in neediness. (The thoughts of a strong person (be) forevermore on abundance, (or on plenty); but those of each person in haste (be) forevermore on neediness./Carefully-made plans shall be successful; but each person in haste shall be forever in need.)

⁶He that gathereth treasures by the tongue of a lie maker, (or of a liar), is vain, and without heart; and he shall be hurled to the snares of death.

⁷The ravens of unpious men shall draw them down; for they would not do doom. (The robberies of the wicked shall pull them down; for what they do is wrong.)

⁸The wayward way of a man is alien from God; but the work of him that is clean of sin, is rightful. (The evil way of a person is alien to God; but the work of him who is clean of sin, is upright.)

⁹It is better to sit in the corner of an house without roof, than with a woman full of chiding, and in a common house. (It is better to sit in the corner of a house without a roof, than with a woman full of arguments, or of bickering, in a house together.)

¹⁰The soul of an unpious man desireth evil; he shall not have mercy on his neighbour. (The soul of a wicked person desireth evil; he shall not even give mercy to his friend.)

¹¹When a man full of pestilence is punished, a little man of wit shall be wiser (or even someone of little wit, or of low intelligence, shall be made the wiser); and if he followeth a wise man, he shall take knowing.

¹²A just man of the house of a wicked man thinketh, to withdraw wicked men from evil. (The righteous think about the wicked in their houses, but it is God who shall throw down the wicked for their evil./The just God thinketh about the house of the wicked, and he shall throw down the wicked for their evil.)

¹³He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of a poor man, shall cry also (or shall also cry), and he shall not be heard.

¹⁴A gift hid quencheth chidings (or A secret gift quencheth arguments); and a gift in the bosom quencheth most indignation.

¹⁵It is joy to a just man to make doom; and it is dread to them that work wickedness. (It is a joy for the righteous to see justice done; but judgement bringeth ruin to those who work wickedness.)

¹⁶A man that erreth from the way of doctrine, shall dwell in the company of giants, that is, of men evil ruled, either of fiends. (Those who err, or who stray, from the way of doctrine, shall dwell in the company of the dead.)