16
1 The plans of the lev belong to adam,
and the answer of the lashon is from Hashem.
2 All the drakhei ish are pure in his own eynayim,
but Hashem weigheth the ruchot.
3 Commit thy ma'asim (works) unto Hashem,
and thy plans shall be established.
4 Hashem works out all things for Himself,
indeed, even the rasha (wicked) for the Yom Ra'ah (day of evil).
5 Every one that is proud in lev
is to'evat Hashem;
though yad join in yad, he shall not go unpunished.
6 By chesed and emes avon is purged,
and by the Yirat Hashem men depart from rah.
7 When drakhei ish please Hashem,
He maketh even his oyevim to be in shalom with him.
8 Better is a little with tzedakah
than great revenues without mishpat (justice).
9 The lev adam plans his derech,
but Hashem directeth his steps.
10 A kesem (oracle) is on the sfatayim (lips) of Melech,
his peh (mouth) must not betray mishpat.
11 A just weight and balance are Hashemʼs,
all the weights of the bag are His concern.
12 It is to'evat melachim to commit resha (wickedness),
for the kisse is established through tzedakah.
13 Sfatayim (lips) of tzedek are the delight of melachim;
and they love him that speaketh yesharim (upright things).
14 The wrath of a melech is as malachim of mavet,
but an ish chacham will appease it.
15 In the light of the countenance of melech is chayyim,
and his favor is like the cloud of a spring rain.
16 How much better is it to acquire chochmah than gold,
and acquiring binah (understanding) a better choice than kesef!
17 The mesilat yesharim (highway of the upright)
is to depart from rah;
he that guards his derech is shomer over his nefesh (soul).
18 Ga'on (pride) goeth before shever (destruction),
and a ruach of haughtiness before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of a humble ruach among the anayim,
than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20 He that wisely heeds the Davar shall find tov (good),
and he who trusteth in Hashem, happy is he.
21 The chacham lev shall be called prudent,
and the sweetness of the sfatayim (lips) adds to learning.
22 Seichel is a Makor Chayyim unto him that hath it,
but the musar (instruction, discipline) of fools is folly.
23 The lev chacham guides his peh (mouth),
and addeth learning to his sfatayim (lips).
24 Pleasant words are as a honeycomb,
sweet to the nefesh, and marpeh (healing) to the atzmot (bones).
25 There is a derech that seemeth yashar (right) before an ish,
but its acharit (future, latter end) is the drakhei mavet.
26 The nefesh (appetite) of the laborer works for him,
for his peh (mouth) of hunger driveth him on.
27 An ish Beliya'al diggeth up ra'ah,
and in his sfatayim (lips) there is as a scorching eish.
28 A perverse ish soweth madon (strife, dissension),
and a whisperer separateth close friends.
29 An ish chamas enticeth his re'a,
and leadeth him into the derech that is not good.
30 He winking his eynayim to plot perverse things,
compressing his sfatayim (lips),
bringeth ra'ah to pass.
31 The silvery hair is an ateret tiferet;
it is found in the derech tzedakah.
32 He that is slow to anger
is better than the gibbor;
and he that ruleth his ruach
than he that captures a city.
33 The goral is cast into the kheyk (lap),
but the whole decision thereof is from Hashem.