16 The plans of the lev belong to adam, and the answer of the lashon is from Hashem.

² All the drakhei ish are pure in his own eynayim, but Hashem weigheth the ruchot.

³ Commit thy ma’asim (works) unto Hashem, and thy plans shall be established.

⁴ Hashem works out all things for Himself, indeed, even the rasha (wicked) for the Yom Ra’ah (day of evil).

⁵ Every one that is proud in lev is to’evat Hashem; though yad join in yad, he shall not go unpunished.

⁶ By chesed and emes avon is purged, and by the Yirat Hashem men depart from rah.

⁷ When drakhei ish please Hashem, He maketh even his oyevim to be in shalom with him.

⁸ Better is a little with tzedakah than great revenues without mishpat (justice).

⁹ The lev adam plans his derech, but Hashem directeth his steps.

¹⁰ A kesem (oracle) is on the sfatayim (lips) of Melech, his peh (mouth) must not betray mishpat.

¹¹ A just weight and balance are Hashem’s, all the weights of the bag are His concern.

¹² It is to’evat melachim to commit resha (wickedness), for the kisse is established through tzedakah.

¹³ Sfatayim (lips) of tzedek are the delight of melachim; and they love him that speaketh yesharim (upright things).

¹⁴ The wrath of a melech is as malachim of mavet, but an ish chacham will appease it.

¹⁵ In the light of the countenance of melech is chayyim, and his favor is like the cloud of a spring rain.

¹⁶ How much better is it to acquire chochmah than zahav, and acquiring binah (understanding) a better choice than kesef!

¹⁷ The mesilat yesharim (highway of the upright) is to depart from rah; he that guards his derech is shomer over his nefesh (soul).

¹⁸ Ga’on (pride) goeth before shever (destruction), and a ruach of haughtiness before a fall.

¹⁹ Better it is to be of a humble ruach among the anayim, than to divide the plunder with the proud.

²⁰ He that wisely heeds the Davar shall find tov (good), and he who trusteth in Hashem, happy is he.

²¹ The chacham lev shall be called prudent, and the sweetness of the sfatayim (lips) adds to learning.

²² Seichel is a Makor Chayyim unto him that hath it, but the musar (instruction, discipline) of fools is folly.

²³ The lev chacham guides his peh (mouth), and addeth learning to his sfatayim (lips).

²⁴ Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the nefesh, and marpeh (healing) to the atzmot (bones).

²⁵ There is a derech that seemeth yashar (right) before an ish, but its acharit (future, latter end) is the drakhei mavet.

²⁶ The nefesh (appetite) of the laborer works for him, for his peh (mouth) of hunger driveth him on.

²⁷ An ish Beliya’al diggeth up ra’ah, and in his sfatayim (lips) there is as a scorching eish.

²⁸ A perverse ish soweth madon (strife, dissension), and a whisperer separateth close friends.

²⁹ An ish chamas enticeth his re’a, and leadeth him into the derech that is not good.

³⁰ He winking his eynayim to plot perverse things, compressing his sfatayim (lips), bringeth ra’ah to pass.

³¹ The silvery hair is an ateret tiferet; it is found in the derech tzedakah.

³² He that is slow to anger is better than the gibbor; and he that ruleth his ruach than he that captures a city.

³³ The goral is cast into the kheyk (lap), but the whole decision thereof is from Hashem.