Proverbs 21
English Standard Version (ESV)
21 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp[a] of the wicked, are sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.[b]
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
because they refuse to do what is just.
8 The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the pure is upright.
9 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise;
when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.
12 The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked;
he throws the wicked down to ruin.
13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.
14 A gift in secret averts anger,
and a concealed bribe,[c] strong wrath.
15 When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
16 One who wanders from the way of good sense
will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man;
he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
and the traitor for the upright.
19 It is better to live in a desert land
than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.
20 Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling,
but a foolish man devours it.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness
will find life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty
and brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
24 “Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man
who acts with arrogant pride.
25 The desire of the sluggard kills him,
for his hands refuse to labor.
26 All day long he craves and craves,
but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
how much more when he brings it with evil intent.
28 A false witness will perish,
but the word of a man who hears will endure.
29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
but the upright gives thought to[d] his ways.
30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
can avail against the Lord.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:4 Or the plowing
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Latin; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:14 Hebrew a bribe in the bosom
- Proverbs 21:29 Or establishes
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Lord Considers the Heart
21 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the [a]rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the hearts.
3 To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the [b]plowing of the wicked are sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty,
But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue
[c]Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.
7 The violence of the wicked will [d]destroy them,
Because they refuse to do justice.
8 The way of [e]a guilty man is perverse;
But as for the pure, his work is right.
9 Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
11 When the scoffer is punished, the simple is made wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked,
Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.
13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
Will also cry himself and not be heard.
14 A gift in secret pacifies anger,
And a bribe [f]behind the back, strong wrath.
15 It is a joy for the just to do justice,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 He who loves pleasure will be a poor man;
He who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous,
And the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to dwell [g]in the wilderness,
Than with a contentious and angry woman.
20 There is desirable treasure,
And oil in the dwelling of the wise,
But a foolish man squanders it.
21 He who follows righteousness and mercy
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man [h]scales the city of the mighty,
And brings down the trusted stronghold.
23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.
24 A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name;
He acts with arrogant pride.
25 The desire of the lazy man kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor.
26 He covets greedily all day long,
But the righteous gives and does not spare.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
28 A false witness shall perish,
But the man who hears him will speak endlessly.
29 A wicked man hardens his face,
But as for the upright, he [i]establishes his way.
30 There is no wisdom or understanding
Or counsel against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance is of the Lord.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:1 channels
- Proverbs 21:4 Or lamp
- Proverbs 21:6 LXX Pursue vanity on the snares of death; Vg. Is vain and foolish, and shall stumble on the snares of death; Tg. They shall be destroyed, and they shall fall who seek death
- Proverbs 21:7 Lit. drag them away
- Proverbs 21:8 Or The way of a man is perverse and strange;
- Proverbs 21:14 Under cover, lit. in the bosom
- Proverbs 21:19 Lit. in the land of the desert
- Proverbs 21:22 Climbs over the walls of
- Proverbs 21:29 Qr., LXX understands
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This morning the word “contentious” is repeated twice. It is also found in Proverbs 19:13. It is in reference in these three verses to a wife, but the issue of contentiousness is not the purview of only ladies, but of mankind. Imagine the things we argue, quarrel and fight about over and over. In the New Testament the apostles tell us this should not be in the church. We are to have nothing to do with this kind of behavior or these topics. As I thought about it for a minute, the reason is fairly simple, isn’t it? If the people of the church, who are inhabited by the Holy Spirit of God, are involved in this type of behavior, are we displaying unity or selfishness? We are to have nothing to do with this. And if someone remains contentious and will not submit to the Holy Spirit’s control of their mind and mouth, then we should avoid these situations with them, too. Except where we are to help them through rebuke and correction. Back to the verses from today, verses 9 and 19, imagine the quandary when the contentious person sits at the same table, sleeps in the same bed, raises children together with you, etc. Let us beware of the spirit of contentiousness that arises from our selfishness not godliness.
Verse 3 To do righteousness and justice Is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice.
The verse has two of the positive things the chapter emphasizes, namely righteousness, justice, diligence, purity, wisdom, joy, honor, and truth. That’s a very impressive list. I think people who have several of these in their lives choose to be grateful and kind. They enjoy what God has made and especially Who He is. These are contrasted with those who are proud, lying, reckless, violent, contentious, nagging, quarrelsome, foolish, lazy, mocking, insulting, and whatever else I missed. Possibly pride or anger is at the root of these ugly qualities, but often I think the devotion to God that they lack is the bigger problem.