Proverbs 16 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
During the reign of King Solomon (~970-930 BC)
Location
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Israel
Audience
The people of Israel, particularly young men, court officials, and leaders
Situation
Proverbs 16 consists of a collection of individual wisdom sayings attributed to Solomon, presented without a specific narrative event.
Key Background
The Book of Proverbs is Old Testament wisdom literature emphasizing practical guidance for righteous living, fearing the Lord, and wise decision-making. Chapter 16 underscores God's sovereignty over human plans, the importance of a pure heart and tongue, and contrasts between pride/humility and righteousness/wickedness. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern wisdom tradition, where Solomon's legendary wisdom (1 Kings 3-4) served as a model for moral instruction.
A person can their thoughts, but the final word belongs to
Everything a person does to them, but Yahweh them.
to Yahweh and plans will stand firm.
Yahweh made everything with a — even the for the go
Everyone with an Yahweh — make no mistake, they
Through and is over; through Yahweh, people turn away from what destroys them.
When Yahweh is with how lives, he even brings their enemies to with them.
Better to have a little and right than to have massive income gained through
A person's plans their route, but Yahweh each
A king's lips carry the weight of decisions; his mouth must not
and belong to Yahweh; every weight in the bag is his concern.
Kings should be by corrupt actions, because a throne stays standing through
Kings value people who the truth; they love someone who says what's right.
A king's is a sentence, but a wise person knows how to calm it down.
When a king's up, there's life in it; his approval is like a in
Getting — how much better than getting gold! Choosing over silver — that's the real investment.
The of the avoids what destroys; whoever guards their path protects their own life.
comes right before a breakdown, and an right before a fall.
Better to be among the overlooked than to split with the proud.
Whoever about a matter will find what's good; and the person who trusts in Yahweh — life is for them.
The at are recognized for their insight, and make a message even more convincing.
is a of for those who have it, but trying to correct is a of
A wise person's guides their mouth and to what they say.
are a — sweet to the and for the body.
There's a that to someone, but in the end it leads straight to
A worker's works for them — their them
A up trouble; their words are like a
A stirs up conflict, and a drives apart the
A their neighbor and leads them down a path that's no good.
Someone who their is plotting twisted things; someone who their has already decided to do wrong.
Gray hair is a of — it's found on the path of
Being to is better than being a warrior, and own beats conquering a city.
The is tossed into the lap, but every that from it belongs to Yahweh.