HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 942
P RO VERBS 1 6
25
The Lord tears down the house of the
proud,
but he protects the property of widows.
26
The Lord detests evil plans,
but he delights in pure words.
27
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3
Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.
4
The Lord has made everything for his own
purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.
Greed brings grief to the whole family,
but those who hate bribes will live.
5
The Lord detests the proud;
they will surely be punished.
28
The heart of the godly thinks carefully
before speaking;
the mouth of the wicked overflows
with evil words.
6
Unfailing love and faithfulness make
atonement for sin.
By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
7
29
The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayers of the righteous.
When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them.
8
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;
good news makes for good health.
Better to have little, with godliness,
than to be rich and dishonest.
9
31
If you listen to constructive criticism,
you will be at home among the wise.
We can make our plans,
but the Lord determines our steps.
10
32
If you reject discipline, you only harm
yourself;
but if you listen to correction, you grow
in understanding.
The king speaks with divine wisdom;
he must never judge unfairly.
11
The Lord demands accurate scales and
balances;
he sets the standards for fairness.
12
A king detests wrongdoing,
for his rule is built on justice.
13
The king is pleased with words from
righteous lips;
he loves those who speak honestly.
14
The anger of the king is a deadly threat;
the wise will try to appease it.
15
When the king smiles, there is life;
his favor refreshes like a spring rain.
16
How much better to get wisdom than gold,
and good judgment than silver!
17
The path of the virtuous leads away
from evil;
whoever follows that path is safe.
18
Pride goes before destruction,
and haughtiness before a fall.
19
Better to live humbly with the poor
than to share plunder with the proud.
20
Those who listen to instruction will prosper;
those who trust the Lord will be joyful.
21
The wise are known for their understanding,
and pleasant words are persuasive.
22
Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those
who possess it,
but discipline is wasted on fools.
23
From a wise mind comes wise speech;
the words of the wise are persuasive.
24
Kind words are like honey—
sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
30
33
Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;
humility precedes honor.
16
2
1
We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.
People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.
• Sin
PR OV E R B S 1 6 :1 6
God gives us freedom of choice, but
our choices have consequences. We
are free to spend our time on our own
selfish pursuits, but we may not have
friends or a close family life. We are free
to pursue wealth at any cost, but we
may end up with lots of money and no
joy in spending it. We are free to hurt
ourselves or improve ourselves, build our
family life or tear it down, sin or pursue
righteousness, but we must live with the
consequences of whatever we decide. In
the end, it is better to have wisdom and
understanding than gold and silver. Have
you thought about the choices you made
today and in what direction they will
take you? Have you thought about the
potential consequences of the choices
you’ve made over the past week, month,
or year? Determine to make choices that
will produce healthy consequences.