Proverbs 21

God Examines Our Motives

21Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.H4428H3820H3027H3068H6388H4325H5186H26542We justify our actions by appearances; GOD examines our motives.H1870H376H3477H5869H3068H8505H38263Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far more to GOD than religious performance.H6213H6666H4941H977H3068H20774Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked— are just plain sin.H7312H5869H7342H3820H5215H7563H24035Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.H4284H2742H4195H213H42706Make it to the top by lying and cheating; get paid with smoke and a promotion—to death!H6467H214H8267H3956H1892H5086H1245H41947The wicked get buried alive by their loot because they refuse to use it to help others.H7701H7563H1641H3985H6213H49418Mixed motives twist life into tangles; pure motives take you straight down the road.H1870H376H2019H2054H2134H6467H3477

Do Your Best, Prepare for the Worst

9Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.H2896H3427H6438H1406H4079H4066H802H2267H100410Wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors.H5315H7563H183H7451H7453H2603H586911Simpletons only learn the hard way, but the wise learn by listening.H3887H6064H6612H2449H2450H7919H3947H184712A God-loyal person will see right through the wicked and undo the evil they've planned.H6662H7919H1004H7563H5557H7563H745113If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor, your cries will go unheard, unanswered.H331H241H2201H1800H7121H603014A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person; a heartfelt present cools a hot temper.H4976H5643H3711H639H7810H2436H5794H253415Good people celebrate when justice triumphs, but for the workers of evil it's a bad day.H8057H6662H6213H4941H4288H6466H20516Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow ends up in a congregation of ghosts.H120H8582H1870H7919H5117H6951H749617You're addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.H157H8057H4270H376H157H3196H8081H623818What a bad person plots against the good, boomerangs; the plotter gets it in the end.H7563H3724H6662H898H347719Better to live in a tent in the wild than with a cross and petulant spouse.H2896H3427H776H4057H4079H4066H3708H80220Valuables are safe in a wise person's home; fools put it all out for yard sales.H214H2530H8081H5116H2450H3684H120H110421Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life!H7291H6666H2617H4672H2416H6666H351922One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers— their trusted defenses fell to pieces!H2450H5927H5892H1368H3381H5797H400923Watch your words and hold your tongue; you'll save yourself a lot of grief.H8104H6310H3956H8104H5315H686924You know their names—Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer— intemperate hotheads, every one.H2086H3093H3887H8034H6213H2087H567825Lazy people finally die of hunger because they won't get up and go to work.H8378H6102H4191H3027H3985H621326Sinners are always wanting what they don't have; the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.H183H8378H3117H6662H5414H282027Religious performance by the wicked stinks; it's even worse when they use it to get ahead.H2077H7563H8441H935H215428A lying witness is unconvincing; a person who speaks truth is respected.H3577H5707H6H376H8085H1696H533129Unscrupulous people fake it a lot; honest people are sure of their steps.H7563H376H5810H6440H3477H995H3559H187030Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived, can get the better of GOD.H2451H8394H6098H306831Do your best, prepare for the worst— then trust GOD to bring victory.H5483H3559H3117H4421H8668H3068