Proverbs

Chapter 16

The Reply of the Tongue Is from the LORD

Proverbs 16 emphasizes the LORD's sovereign governance over human plans, rulers, outcomes, and even apparently chance events, while continuing to contrast wisdom, humility, righteousness, and restraint with pride, perversity, violence, and self-deception. The chapter shows that stable life is found not in confident self-direction but in yielded work, upright speech, measured anger, and pathways that align with God's moral order.

As the sixteenth chapter of Proverbs, this passage deepens the Solomonic contrast sayings by repeatedly bringing human intention into relation with divine judgment and providence. It teaches that wisdom plans, speaks, rules, labors, and ages well only when submitted to the LORD who weighs motives, establishes steps, humbles pride, and governs the final outcome.

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Proverbs 16

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vv. 1-33

The Reply of the Tongue Is from the LORD

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T¹he plans of the heart belong to man, ²All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, ³Commit your works to the LORD ⁴The LORD has made everything for His purpose— ⁵Everyone who is proud in heart is detestable to the LORD; ⁶By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, ⁷When a man’s ways please the LORD, ⁸Better a little with righteousness ⁹A man’s heart plans his course,

¹⁰A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; ¹¹Honest scales and balances are from the LORD; ¹²Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, ¹³Righteous lips are a king’s delight, ¹⁴The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, ¹⁵When a king’s face brightens, there is life; ¹⁶How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! ¹⁷The highway of the upright leads away from evil;

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, ¹⁹It is better to be lowly in spirit among the humble ²⁰Whoever heeds instruction will find success, ²¹The wise in heart are called discerning, ²²Understanding is a fountain of life to its possessor, ²³The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth ²⁴Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

²⁵There is a way that seems right to a man, ²⁶A worker’s appetite works for him ²⁷A worthless man digs up evil, ²⁸A perverse man spreads dissension, ²⁹A violent man entices his neighbor ³⁰He who winks his eye devises perversity; ³¹Gray hair is a crown of glory; ³²He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, ³³The lot is cast into the lap,

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Each section keeps the passage focused, adds summaries and cross references, and gives verse-level links.

01vv. 1-33The Reply of the Tongue Is from the LORDThe chapter gathers sayings about planning and providence, self-examination, kingship, justice, humility, correction, persuasive speech, labor, perversity, aging, anger, and divine rule over outcomes. Together they teach that human beings truly think, choose, speak, and govern, yet all of this unfolds under the LORD who weighs hearts, ordains purposes, loves just rule, opposes pride, and finally determines the result.