NKJV Bible in 365 Days
Pride, Conflict, and the Power of Words — June 15
Proverbs 16-18
Proverbs 16
1 The preparations [a] of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord . 365N 166.1
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. 365N 166.2
3 Commit [b] your works to the Lord , And your thoughts will be established. 365N 166.3
4 The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of [c] doom. 365N 166.4
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord ; Though they join [d] forces, none will go unpunished. 365N 166.5
6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. 365N 166.6
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord , He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 365N 166.7
8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. 365N 166.8
9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. 365N 166.9
10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. 365N 166.10
11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord ’s; All the weights in the bag are His [e] work. 365N 166.11
12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness. 365N 166.12
13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. 365N 166.13
14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it. 365N 166.14
15 In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain. 365N 166.15
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. 365N 166.16
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. 365N 166.17
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before [f] a fall. 365N 166.18
19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the [g] spoil with the proud. 365N 166.19
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord , happy is he. 365N 166.20
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. 365N 166.21
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. 365N 166.22
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. 365N 166.23
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. 365N 166.24
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 365N 166.25
26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on. 365N 166.26
27 [h] An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. 365N 166.27
28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. 365N 166.28
29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. 365N 166.29
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He [i] purses his lips and brings about evil. 365N 166.30
31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. 365N 166.31
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 365N 166.32
33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord . 365N 166.33
Proverbs 17
1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of [a] feasting with strife. 365N 166.34
2 A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 365N 166.35
3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. 365N 166.36
4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a [b] spiteful tongue. 365N 166.37
5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 365N 166.38
6 Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. 365N 166.39
7 Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. 365N 166.40
8 A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 365N 166.41
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. 365N 166.42
10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool. 365N 166.43
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 365N 166.44
12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 365N 166.45
13 Whoever rewards evil for good, Evil will not depart from his house. 365N 166.46
14 The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts. 365N 166.47
15 He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord . 365N 166.48
16 Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? 365N 166.49
17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. 365N 166.50
18 A man devoid of [c] understanding [d] shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes [e] surety for his friend. 365N 166.51
19 He who loves transgression loves strife, And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 365N 166.52
20 He who has a [f] deceitful heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. 365N 166.53
21 He who begets a scoffer does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 365N 166.54
22 A merry heart [g] does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. 365N 166.55
23 A wicked man accepts a bribe [h] behind the back To pervert the ways of justice. 365N 166.56
24 Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 365N 166.57
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her who bore him. 365N 166.58
26 Also, to punish the righteous is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. 365N 166.59
27 He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 365N 166.60
28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. 365N 166.61
Proverbs 18
1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all [a] wise judgment. 365N 166.62
2 A fool has no delight in understanding, But in expressing his own heart. 365N 166.63
3 When the wicked comes, contempt comes also; And with dishonor comes reproach. 365N 166.64
4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. 365N 166.65
5 It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 365N 166.66
6 A fool’s lips enter into contention, And his mouth calls for blows. 365N 166.67
7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction, And his lips are the snare of his soul. 365N 166.68
8 The words of a [b] talebearer are like [c] tasty trifles, And they go down into the [d] inmost body. 365N 166.69
9 He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. 365N 166.70
10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are [e] safe. 365N 166.71
11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. 365N 166.72
12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. 365N 166.73
13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. 365N 166.74
14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? 365N 166.75
15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 365N 166.76
16 A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men. 365N 166.77
17 The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. 365N 166.78
18 Casting lots causes contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart. 365N 166.79
19 A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle. 365N 166.80
20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 365N 166.81
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 365N 166.82
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord . 365N 166.83
23 The poor man uses entreaties, But the rich answers roughly. 365N 166.84
24 A man who has friends [f] must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 365N 166.85