Proverbs 21

²Everyone thinks their own choices are right. But God looks deep into every heart. He sees the truth.

³Doing what is right and fair is more important to God than offerings. Living rightly matters more than rituals.

⁴A proud look and a proud heart are sin. Even the daily work of the wicked is sin. Pride goes all the way through.

⁵Hard work and careful thinking lead to having enough. But rushing and being hasty leads to not having enough.

⁶Getting riches by lying is empty and worthless. It leads nowhere good. It is the path of those heading toward destruction.

⁷The wicked person takes what is not theirs. That very wrongdoing will destroy them. They refused to do what is right.

⁸The way of the guilty person is twisted and confusing. But the person who is pure — their work is straight and right.

⁹It is better to live in a tiny corner of a roof than in a big house full of fighting and quarreling. Peace matters more than space.

¹⁰The wicked person wants to do evil. They do not care about their neighbour at all. Kindness is not in them.

¹¹When a mocker is punished, even a simple person learns something. And when the wise person is taught, they learn even more.

¹²The righteous person watches carefully and understands what happens to the wicked. God brings down the wicked because of their sin.

¹³If you close your ears to the poor when they cry for help, one day you will cry for help. And no one will hear you.

¹⁴A quiet, private gift can calm someone who is angry. A gentle act given in secret can turn away great anger.

¹⁵The just person finds joy in doing what is right. But for those who do wrong, doing right brings them to ruin.

¹⁶The person who wanders away from wisdom ends up with those who are lost. Turning away from wisdom is very serious.

¹⁷The person who lives only for fun and pleasure will end up with nothing. Always choosing comfort over hard work leads to being poor.

¹⁸Sometimes the wicked person ends up suffering what the righteous person was going to face. God protects the righteous. The wrongdoer bears the result of their wrong.

¹⁹It is better to live alone in the wilderness than in a home full of arguing and anger. A peaceful home is a treasure.

²⁰The home of the wise has treasure and good things stored up. But a foolish person spends everything and has nothing left.

²¹Chasing after what is right and showing kindness leads to real life. It leads to honour and goodness.

²²One wise person can climb over the defences of a powerful city. Wisdom is stronger than great strength.

²³Guard what you say. Keeping your mouth and tongue safe keeps your whole soul safe from trouble.

²⁴The person who mocks others with pride and anger has a name: proud, haughty scorner. That is who they are.

²⁵The lazy person wants things but will not work for them. That wanting without working destroys them.

²⁶The greedy person wants more and more all day long. But the righteous person gives freely and holds nothing back.

²⁷God hates it when wicked people bring offerings to Him. It is even worse when they do it with evil thoughts in their hearts.

²⁸The person who lies as a witness will be destroyed. But the person who truly listens tells the truth steadily and always.

²⁹The wicked person has a hard, stubborn face. But the upright person is honest and keeps their way straight.

³⁰No wisdom, no plan, no advice can stand against God. Nothing and no one is stronger than God.

³¹You can get ready. You can prepare everything. But only God gives true safety. Safety comes from God alone.