March 18th Proverbs 21-22

21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
    that he channels toward all who please him.
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
    is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
    the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.[a]
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
    for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked crave evil;
    their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
    by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.
12 The Righteous One[b] takes note of the house of the wicked
    and brings the wicked to ruin.
13 Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor
    will also cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
    and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
    but terror to evildoers.
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
    comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
    whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
    and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
    but fools gulp theirs down.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and love
    finds life, prosperity[c] and honor.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty
    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
    keep themselves from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant person—“Mocker” is his name—
    behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
    because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
    but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
    how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
    but a careful listener will testify successfully.
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
    that can succeed against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
    but victory rests with the Lord.
Footnotes

Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness


22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
    The Lord is the Maker of them all.
3 The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
4 Humility is the fear of the Lord;
    its wages are riches and honor and life.
5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,
    but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.
6 Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
7 The rich rule over the poor,
    and the borrower is slave to the lender.
8 Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,
    and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
9 The generous will themselves be blessed,
    for they share their food with the poor.
10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.
11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
    but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
    I’ll be killed in the public square!”
14 The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;
    a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.
15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.
16 One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
    and one who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
Thirty Sayings of the Wise

Saying 1

17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
    apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
    and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
    I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
    sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
    so that you bring back truthful reports
    to those you serve?
Saying 2

22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,
23 for the Lord will take up their case
    and will exact life for life.
Saying 3

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
    do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
    and get yourself ensnared.
Saying 4

26 Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge
    or puts up security for debts;
27 if you lack the means to pay,
    your very bed will be snatched from under you.
Saying 5

28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
    set up by your ancestors.
Saying 6

29 Do you see someone skilled in their work?
    They will serve before kings;
    they will not serve before officials of low rank.