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Proverbs 21
International Children’s Bible
Proverbs 21
International Children’s Bible
21 The Lord can control a king’s mind as easily as he controls a river.
He can direct it as he pleases.
2 A person may believe he is doing right.
But the Lord judges his reasons.
3 Do what is right and fair.
That is more important to the Lord than animal sacrifices.
4 Proud looks, proud thoughts
and evil actions are sin.
5 Those who plan and work hard earn a profit.
But those who act too quickly become poor.
6 Wealth that comes from telling lies
vanishes like a mist and leads to death.
7 The violence of the wicked will destroy them
because they refuse to do what is right.
8 Guilty people live dishonest lives.
But honest people do what is right.
9 It is better to live in a corner on the roof[a]
than inside the house with a quarreling wife.
10 An evil person only wants to harm others.
His neighbor will get no mercy from him.
11 Punish a person who makes fun of wisdom, and he will become wise.
But just teach a wise person, and he will get knowledge.
12 God, who is always right, sees the house of the wicked.
And he brings about the ruin of every evil person.
13 If you ignore the poor when they cry for help,
you also will cry for help and not be answered.
14 A gift given secretly will calm an angry man.
A present given in secrecy will calm even great anger.
15 When things are done fairly, good people are happy,
but evil people are frightened.
16 A person who does not use understanding
will join the dead.
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor.
Whoever loves wine and rich food will never be wealthy.
18 Wicked people will suffer instead of good people.
And those who cannot be trusted will suffer instead of those who can.
19 It is better to live alone in the desert
than with a quarreling and complaining wife.
20 Wise people store up the best foods and olive oil.
But a foolish person eats up everything he has.
21 A person who tries to live right and be loyal
finds life, success and honor.
22 A wise person can defeat a city full of strong men.
He can tear down the defenses they trust.
23 A person who is careful about what he says
keeps himself out of trouble.
24 People who act with stubborn pride
are called “proud” and “bragger.”
25 The lazy person’s desire for sleep will kill him
because he refuses to work.
26 All day long the lazy person wishes for more.
But the good person gives without holding back.
27 The Lord hates sacrifices made by evil people,
particularly when they make them for the wrong reasons.
28 The words of a lying witness will die.
But the words of an obedient man will always be remembered.
29 A wicked person is stubborn.
But an honest person thinks carefully about what he does.
30 There is no wisdom, understanding or advice
that can succeed against the Lord.
31 You can get the horses ready for battle.
But it is the Lord who gives the victory.
Footnotes
- 21:9 roof In Bible times houses were built with flat roofs. The roof was used for drying things such as flax and fruit. And it was used as an extra room, as a place for worship and as a place to sleep in the summer.
Proverbs 21
New International Version
Proverbs 21
New International Version
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.(A)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(B)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(C)
4 Haughty eyes(D) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(E)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(G)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(H)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(I)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(J)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(N)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(O)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(P)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(Q)
18 The wicked become a ransom(R) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(S)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(V)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(Y)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(Z)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(AA) give without sparing.(AB)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(AC)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(AD)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(AG)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(AJ)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
- Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.