21 The king’s heart is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses:
He turneth it whithersoever he will.
² Every way of a man is right in his own eyes;
But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.
³ To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.
⁴ A high look, and a proud heart,
^[a]Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
⁵ The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.
⁶ The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a vapor driven to and fro by them that seek death.
⁷ The violence of the wicked shall sweep them away,
Because they refuse to do justice.
⁸ The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked;
But as for the pure, his work is ^[b]right.
⁹ It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
Than with a contentious woman in ^[c]a wide house.
¹⁰ The soul of the wicked desireth evil:
His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.
¹¹ When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
And ^[d]when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
^12 [e]The righteous man considereth the house of the wicked,
How the wicked are overthrown to their ruin.
¹³ Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,
He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.
¹⁴ A gift in secret ^[f]pacifieth anger;
And a present in the bosom, strong wrath.
¹⁵ It is joy to the righteous to do justice;
^[g]But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
¹⁶ The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding
Shall rest in the assembly of ^[h]the dead.
¹⁷ He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man:
He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
¹⁸ The wicked is a ransom for the righteous;
And the treacherous cometh in the stead of the upright.
¹⁹ It is better to dwell in a desert land,
Than with ^[i]a contentious and fretful woman.
²⁰ There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
But a foolish man swalloweth it up.
²¹ He that followeth after righteousness and kindness
Findeth life, righteousness, and honor.
²² A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty,
And bringeth down the strength of the confidence thereof.
²³ Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue
Keepeth his soul from troubles.
²⁴ The proud and haughty man, scoffer is his name;
He worketh in the arrogance of pride.
²⁵ The desire of the sluggard killeth him;
For his hands refuse to labor.
²⁶ There is that coveteth greedily all the day long;
But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.
²⁷ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more, when he bringeth it ^[j]with a wicked mind!
²⁸ A false witness shall perish;
But the man that heareth shall speak so as to endure.
²⁹ A wicked man hardeneth his face;
But as for the upright, ^[k]he establisheth his ways.
³⁰ There is no wisdom nor understanding
Nor counsel against Jehovah.
³¹ The horse is prepared against the day of battle;
But ^[l]victory is of Jehovah.