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21The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
²All deeds are right in the sight of the doer,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
³To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
⁴Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
the lamp of the wicked—are sin.
⁵The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to want.
⁶The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.
⁷The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
⁸The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is right.
⁹It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a contentious wife.
¹⁰The souls of the wicked desire evil;
their neighbors find no mercy in their eyes.
¹¹When a scoffer is punished, the simple become wiser;
when the wise are instructed, they increase in knowledge.
¹²The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
he casts the wicked down to ruin.
¹³If you close your ear to the cry of the poor,
you will cry out and not be heard.
¹⁴A gift in secret averts anger;
and a concealed bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
¹⁵When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous,
but dismay to evildoers.
¹⁶Whoever wanders from the way of understanding
will rest in the assembly of the dead.
¹⁷Whoever loves pleasure will suffer want;
whoever loves wine and oil will not be rich.
¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
and the faithless for the upright.
¹⁹It is better to live in a desert land
than with a contentious and fretful wife.
²⁰Precious treasure remains in the house of the wise,
but the fool devours it.
²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life and honor.
²²One wise person went up against a city of warriors
and brought down the stronghold in which they trusted.
²³To watch over mouth and tongue
is to keep out of trouble.
²⁴The proud, haughty person, named “Scoffer,”
acts with arrogant pride.
²⁵The craving of the lazy person is fatal,
for lazy hands refuse to labor.
²⁶All day long the wicked covet,
but the righteous give and do not hold back.
²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when brought with evil intent.
²⁸A false witness will perish,
but a good listener will testify successfully.
²⁹The wicked put on a bold face,
but the upright give thought to their ways.
³⁰No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel,
can avail against the Lord.
³¹The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.