Proverbs 16

1 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.

2 People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.

3 (Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.

4 Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.

5 Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].

6 Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).

7 When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.

8 It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.

9 People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.

10 [If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.

11 Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.

12 Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.

13 Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.

14 If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.

15 If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].

16 Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.

17 Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.

18 Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.

19 It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).

20 Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.

21 People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].

22 Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.

23 Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].

24 Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.

25 There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.

26 If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.

27 Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].

28 Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.

29 Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.

30 People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.

31 Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.

32 Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.

33 People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.