Proverbs of Solomon 21 — The Holy Bible

Godliness: Willing to Do God's Will

As a flow of water, so is the heart of the king in the hand of God;

Wherever He wills to incline it, there he turns it.

Every man appears righteous to himself,

But the Lord makes hearts right.

To do righteous things and to speak the truth

Are more pleasing before God than the blood of sacrifices.

A high-minded man is bold-hearted in his arrogance,

And the lamp of the ungodly is sin.

He who produces treasures with a lying tongue

Pursues worthless things upon the snares of death.

Destruction shall entertain the ungodly,

For they are not willing to do righteous things.

To the crooked, God sends crooked ways,

For His works are pure and upright.

It is better to dwell in a corner in the open air

Than with wrongdoing in plastered rooms and in a shared house.

The soul of the ungodly will not be shown mercy by anyone among men.

When the intemperate man is punished, the simple man becomes more astute,

And a wise man of understanding shall receive knowledge.

A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly,

And he despises the ungodly in their evils.

He who closes his ears that he might not listen to the weak,

He will also call upon someone, and there will be no one listening.

A secret gift calms anger,

But he who refrains from giving gifts stirs up strong anger.

It is the joy of the righteous to do judgment,

But a holy man is unclean before evildoers.

A man who wanders from the way of righteousness

Shall rest in an assembly of giants.

A man in need loves merriment,

Loving wine and oil as wealth.

A lawless man is the outcast of a righteous man.

It is better to live in a desert

Than with a contentious, talkative, and quick-tempered woman.

A treasury of desire will rest upon the mouth of a wise man,

But men without discernment shall swallow it.

The way of righteousness and mercy shall find life and glory.

A wise man assaults fortified cities

And pulls down the stronghold the ungodly trust.

He who guards his mouth and tongue

Keeps his soul from tribulation.

A troublemaker is called rash, arrogant, and boastful,

And he who bears malice is called lawless.

Desires kill a slothful man,

For his hands choose not to do anything.

The ungodly man desires evil all day long,

But the righteous man shows mercy and compassion unsparingly.

The sacrifices of the ungodly are an abomination to the Lord,

For they offer them lawlessly.

A false witness shall perish,

But an obedient man will speak guardedly.

An ungodly man resists shamelessly to the face,

But the upright man himself understands his ways.

There is no wisdom, there is no courage,

There is no counsel for the ungodly.

The horse is prepared for the day of war,

But help is from the Lord.