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Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16 places human plans under YHWH’s rule and measures wisdom through humility, justice, speech, and self-control.

People make plans, kings pass judgment, and neighbors help or harm one another through speech. These collected sayings address readers seeking wisdom, moving between YHWH’s rule over human affairs and the choices people make. YHWH weighs motives and directs steps; rulers must value justice, and honest trade belongs under his authority. The later sayings contrast wise speech with destructive talk and place restraint above military strength.

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1The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the motives.
3Commit your deeds to the LORD, and your plans shall succeed.
4The LORD has made everything for its own end— yes, even the wicked for the day of evil.
5Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; they shall certainly not be unpunished.
6By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
7When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
9A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps.
10Inspired judgments are on the lips of the king. He shall not betray his mouth.
11Honest balances and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
12It is an abomination for kings to do wrong, for the throne is established by righteousness.
13Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
14The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.
15In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
19It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
20He who heeds the Word finds prosperity. Whoever trusts in the LORD is blessed.
21The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.
22Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools is their folly.
23The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.
24Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
26The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him on.
27A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
28A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.
29A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.
30One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.
31Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.
32One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
33The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Proverbs 16:9This saying holds human planning together with YHWH’s authority over the steps that follow.
Proverbs 16:3Committing deeds to YHWH places the chapter’s concern with plans within dependence on his rule.
Proverbs 16:18Pride’s destructive end explains why the surrounding sayings prize humility above wealth gained with the proud.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm and Jeremiah share this chapter’s themes of entrusting one’s course to YHWH and recognizing his authority over human steps and motives. Matthew and Luke share its warning about pride and its esteem for humility, linking a person’s self-exaltation with coming humiliation.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does YHWH’s weighing of motives affect the way you view a current plan?

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Where do you see the contrast between honeycomb words and destructive speech in your relationships?

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Questions people ask about Proverbs 16

Does Proverbs 16:3 promise that every plan will succeed?

Verse 3 connects established plans with committing one’s deeds to YHWH. As a wisdom saying, it describes life ordered under God’s rule rather than guaranteeing every desired outcome. The surrounding verses stress that God weighs motives and directs steps, so human definitions of success remain subject to his judgment.

What does Proverbs 16:9 mean about planning and God’s will?

Verse 9 acknowledges that people form real plans while assigning the direction of their steps to YHWH. Planning has a place within God’s rule. The saying does not explain how each decision and outcome fit together, nor does it provide a method for discovering a hidden plan.

Does Proverbs 16:4 mean God makes people wicked?

Verse 4 says everything falls within YHWH’s purposes, including the wicked facing a day of calamity or judgment. It does not describe how people become wicked or say that God commits evil. The next verse makes the moral point clear: pride is offensive to God and will face punishment.

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Proverbs · 31 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).