Proverbs 16:16-23
Proverbs 16:16-23 New International Version (NIV)
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD. The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent, but folly brings punishment to fools. The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.
Proverbs 16:16-23 The Message (MSG)
Get wisdom—it’s worth more than money; choose insight over income every time. The road of right living bypasses evil; watch your step and save your life. First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. It’s better to live humbly among the poor than to live it up among the rich and famous. It pays to take life seriously; things work out when you trust in GOD. A wise person gets known for insight; gracious words add to one’s reputation. True intelligence is a spring of fresh water, while fools sweat it out the hard way. They make a lot of sense, these wise folks; whenever they speak, their reputation increases.
Proverbs 16:16-23 King James Version (KJV)
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: And whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. The wise in heart shall be called prudent: And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: But the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips.
Proverbs 16:16-23 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who gives attention to the word will find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it, But the discipline of fools is folly. The heart of the wise instructs his mouth And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
Proverbs 16:16-23 New Century Version (NCV)
It is better to get wisdom than gold, and to choose understanding rather than silver! Good people stay away from evil. By watching what they do, they protect their lives. Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin. It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud. Whoever listens to what is taught will succeed, and whoever trusts the LORD will be happy. The wise are known for their understanding. Their pleasant words make them better teachers. Understanding is like a fountain which gives life to those who use it, but foolishness brings punishment to fools. Wise people’s minds tell them what to say, and that helps them be better teachers.
Proverbs 16:16-23 American Standard Version (ASV)
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver. The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He that giveth heed unto the word shall find good; And whoso trusteth in Jehovah, happy is he. The wise in heart shall be called prudent; And the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. Understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it; But the correction of fools is their folly. The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips.
Proverbs 16:16-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he. The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
Proverbs 16:16-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. [Prov 8:10, 19] The highway of the upright turns away and departs from evil; He who guards his way protects his life (soul). Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud (haughty, arrogant). He who pays attention to the word [of God] will find good, And blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who trusts [confidently] in the LORD. The wise in heart will be called understanding, And sweet speech increases persuasiveness and learning [in both speaker and listener]. Understanding (spiritual insight) is a [refreshing and boundless] wellspring of life to those who have it, But to give instruction and correction to fools is foolishness. The heart of the wise instructs his mouth [in wisdom] And adds persuasiveness to his lips.
Proverbs 16:16-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe. Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive. Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools. From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.
Proverbs 16:16-23 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Everyone wants gold, but wisdom’s worth is far greater. Silver is sought after, but a heart of understanding yields a greater return. Repenting from evil places you on the highway of holiness. Protect purity and you protect your life. Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift yourself up in pride, the harder you’ll fall in disgrace. It’s better to be meek and lowly and live among the poor than to live high and mighty among the rich and famous. One skilled in business discovers prosperity, but the one who trusts in God is blessed beyond belief! The one with a wise heart is called “discerning,” and speaking sweetly to others makes your teaching even more convincing. Wisdom is a deep well of understanding opened up within you as a fountain of life for others, but it’s senseless to try to instruct a fool. Winsome words pour from a heart of wisdom, adding value to all you teach.
Proverbs 16:16-23 English Standard Version Revision 2016 (ESV)
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD. The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness. Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly. The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.