The Lord Is In Charge
1 The Lord controls rulers,
just as he determines
the course of rivers.
2 We may think we are doing
the right thing,
but the Lord always knows
what is in our hearts.
3 Doing what is right and fair
pleases the Lord
more than an offering.
4 Evil people are proud
and arrogant,
but sin is the only crop
they produce.
5 If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you hurry to get rich,
you will end up poor.
6 Cheating to get rich
is a foolish dream
and no less than suicide.
7 You destroy yourself
by being cruel and violent
and refusing to live right.
8 All crooks are liars,
but anyone who is innocent
will do right.
9 It's better to stay outside
on the roof of your house
than to live inside
with a nagging wife.
10 Evil people want to do wrong,
even to their friends.
11 An ignorant fool learns
by seeing others punished;
a sensible person learns
by being instructed.
12 God is always fair!
He knows what the wicked do
and will punish them.
13 If you won't help the poor,
don't expect to be heard
when you cry out for help.
14 A secret bribe will save you
from someone's fierce anger.
15 When justice is done,
good citizens are glad
and crooks are terrified.
16 If you stop using good sense,
you will find yourself
in the grave.
17 Heavy drinkers and others
who live only for pleasure
will lose all they have.
18 God's people will escape,
but all who are wicked
will pay the price.
19 It's better out in the desert
than at home with a nagging,
complaining wife.
20 Be sensible and store up
precious treasures—
don't waste them
like a fool.
21 If you try to be kind and good,
you will be blessed with life
and goodness and honor.
22 One wise person can defeat
a city full of soldiers
and capture their fortress.
23 Watching what you say
can save you
a lot of trouble.
24 If you are proud and conceited,
everyone will say,
“You're a snob!”
25 If you want too much
and are too lazy to work,
it could be fatal.
26 But people who obey God
are always generous.
27 The Lord despises the offerings
of wicked people
with evil motives.
28 If you tell lies in court,
you are done for;
only a reliable witness
can do the job.
29 Wicked people bluff their way,
but God's people think
before they take a step.
30 No matter how much you know
or what plans you make,
you can't defeat the Lord.
31 Even if your army has horses
ready for battle,
the Lord will always win.
1 The Lord controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.
2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that the Lord judges your motives.
3 Do what is right and fair; that pleases the Lord more than bringing him sacrifices.
4 Wicked people are controlled by their conceit and arrogance, and this is sinful.
5 Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough.
6 The riches you get by dishonesty soon disappear, but not before they lead you into the jaws of death.
7 The wicked are doomed by their own violence; they refuse to do what is right.
8 Guilty people walk a crooked path; the innocent do what is right.
9 Better to live on the roof than share the house with a nagging wife.
10 Wicked people are always hungry for evil; they have no mercy on anyone.
11 When someone who is conceited gets his punishment, even an unthinking person learns a lesson. One who is wise will learn from what he is taught.
12 God, the righteous one, knows what goes on in the homes of the wicked, and he will bring the wicked down to ruin.
13 If you refuse to listen to the cry of the poor, your own cry for help will not be heard.
14 If someone is angry with you, a gift given secretly will calm him down.
15 When justice is done, good people are happy, but evil people are brought to despair.
16 Death is waiting for anyone who wanders away from good sense.
17 Indulging in luxuries, wine, and rich food will never make you wealthy.
18 The wicked bring on themselves the suffering they try to cause good people.
19 Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.
20 Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it.
21 Be kind and honest and you will live a long life; others will respect you and treat you fairly.
22 A shrewd general can take a city defended by strong men, and destroy the walls they relied on.
23 If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say.
24 Show me a conceited person and I will show you someone who is arrogant, proud, and inconsiderate.
25 Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves; 26 all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.
27 The Lord hates it when wicked people offer him sacrifices, especially if they do it from evil motives.
28 The testimony of a liar is not believed, but the word of someone who thinks matters through is accepted.
29 Righteous people are sure of themselves; the wicked have to pretend as best they can.
30 Human wisdom, brilliance, insight—they are of no help if the Lord is against you.
31 You can get horses ready for battle, but it is the Lord who gives victory.