Proverbs 21:1-19

¹Like brooks of water is a king's heart in the hand of the Lord: whithersoever it pleaseth him doth he turn it.

²Every way of a man is straight in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the hearts.

³To exercise righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

⁴Haughtiness of the eyes, and an immoderate heart, are the sinful field of the wicked.

⁵The plans of the diligent tend only to plenty; but every hasty man is destined only to want.

⁶The getting of treasures by a tongue of falsehood is like the fleeting breath of those that seek death.

⁷The robbery of the wicked will drag them away; because they refuse to execute justice.

⁸Perverse is the way of the man that is estranged from goodness; but as for the pure, his work is upright.

⁹It is better to dwell in a corner of a roof, than with a quarrelsome woman in a roomy house.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked longeth for evil: his neighbor findeth no grace in his eyes.

¹¹When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is taught intelligence, he receiveth knowledge.

¹²The righteous regardeth attentively the house of the wicked; but God overturneth the wicked into unhappiness.

¹³Whoso stoppeth his ears against the cry of the poor, he also will cry himself, but shall not be answered.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a bribe in the bosom, strong fury.

¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to execute justice; but it is a terror to wrong-doers.

¹⁶The man that wandereth astray out of the way of intelligence shall rest in the assembly of the departed.

¹⁷He that loveth pleasure will be a man of want: he that loveth wine and oil will not become rich.

¹⁸The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the treacherous shall be put in the stead of the upright.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land, than with a quarrelsome and vexatious woman.