Proverbs Chapter 21 — Sovereignty, Justice, and Wisdom

¹The king’s heart is in the LORD’s hand like the watercourses.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,

³To do righteousness and justice

⁴A high look and a proud heart,

⁵The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit;

⁶Getting treasures by a lying tongue

⁷The violence of the wicked will drive them away,

⁸The way of the guilty is devious,

⁹It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desires evil;

¹¹When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom.

¹²The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked,

¹³Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor,

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifies anger,

¹⁵It is joy to the righteous to do justice;

¹⁶The man who wanders out of the way of understanding

¹⁷He who loves pleasure will be a poor man.

¹⁸The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,

¹⁹It is better to dwell in a desert land,

²⁰There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise,

²¹He who follows after righteousness and kindness

²²A wise man scales the city of the mighty,

²³Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue

²⁴The proud and arrogant man—“Scoffer” is his name—

²⁵The desire of the sluggard kills him,

²⁶There are those who covet greedily all day long;

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination—

²⁸A false witness will perish.

²⁹A wicked man hardens his face;

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle;