Proverbs 21

Contemporary English Version

The Lord Is In Charge

21 ^(A) The Lord controls rulers,
just as he determines
    the course of rivers.
²We may think we are doing
    the right thing,
but the Lord always knows
    what is in our hearts.
³Doing what is right and fair
pleases the Lord
    more than an offering.
⁴Evil people are proud
    and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
    they produce.^[a]
⁵If you plan and work hard,
    you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
    you will end up poor.

⁶Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
    and no less than suicide.^[b]
⁷You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
    and refusing to live right.
⁸All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
    will do right.
⁹^(B) It's better to stay outside
    on the roof of your house
than to live inside
    with a nagging wife.
¹⁰Evil people want to do wrong,
    even to their friends.
¹¹An ignorant fool learns
    by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
    by being instructed.

¹²God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
    and will punish them.
¹³If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
    when you cry out for help.
¹⁴A secret bribe will save you
    from someone's fierce anger.
¹⁵When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
    and crooks are terrified.
¹⁶If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
    in the grave.
¹⁷Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
    will lose all they have.

¹⁸God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
    will pay the price.
¹⁹It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
    complaining wife.
²⁰Be sensible and store up
    precious treasures—
don't waste them
    like a fool.
²¹If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
    and goodness and honor.
²²One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
    and capture their fortress.
²³Watching what you say
can save you
    a lot of trouble.
²⁴If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
    “You're a snob!”

²⁵If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
it could be fatal.
²⁶But people who obey God
are always generous.

²⁷^(C) The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
    with evil motives.
²⁸If you tell lies in court,
    you are done for;
only a reliable witness
    can do the job.
²⁹Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
    before they take a step.

³⁰No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
you can't defeat the Lord.
³¹Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
the Lord will always win.