Veritable King James Version
1A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of fools gushes folly.
3The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good.
4A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse one crushes the spirit.
5A fool scorns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
6The house of the righteous holds great wealth, but trouble haunts the income of the wicked.
7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so.
8The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.
9The Lord abhors the way of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue righteousness.
10Stern discipline awaits those who forsake the path; whoever hates reproof will die.
11Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord—how much more the hearts of people!
12A mocker does not love reproof, nor will they seek the wise.
13A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but a sorrowful heart crushes the spirit.
14The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
15All the days of the afflicted are wretched, but a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast.
16Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
17Better a meal of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.
18A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but the patient calms disputes.
19The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a clear highway.
20A wise child brings joy to a parent, but a fool despises their mother.
21Folly delights the senseless, but the discerning walk uprightly.
22Plans fail without counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.
23A person finds joy in a fitting reply, and a timely word—how good it is!
24The path of life leads upward for the prudent, to avoid Sheol below.
25The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but He preserves the widow’s boundary.
26Evil plans are detestable to the Lord, but gracious words are pure to Him.
27The greedy stir up trouble for their household, but those who hate bribes will live.
28The righteous heart ponders before answering, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.
29The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
30The light of the eyes gladdens the heart, and good news strengthens the bones.
31An ear that heeds life-giving reproof dwells among the wise.
32Whoever ignores discipline despises themselves, but whoever heeds reproof gains understanding.
33The fear of the Lord is the discipline of wisdom, and humility comes before honor. Proverbs 16 The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 16 – VKJV
Translation notes
In verse 1, “gentle” translates rak (lit. “soft”), implying a calming tone, while “harsh” (etsev) suggests painful or cutting speech; theologically, this reflects wisdom’s role in peacemaking (cf. James 3:17–18). Verse 2’s “makes… appealing” renders yetev (lit. “makes good”), highlighting wisdom’s ability to present knowledge attractively, contrasted with fools’ reckless speech (nebala). Verse 3’s “eyes of the Lord” (einey YHWH) emphasize divine omniscience, a theological cornerstone (cf. Psalm 139:7–12); “evil and good” contrasts moral outcomes. Verse 4’s “soothing tongue” (marpe lashon) and “tree of life” evoke restoration and divine blessing (cf. Proverbs 3:18), while “perverse” (selef) denotes deceitful speech that harms; cross-reference Proverbs 12:18. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants (e.g., 4Q102) alter this section, affirming Masoretic Text reliability.
Verse 5’s “scorns” translates ya’lis (lit. “mocks”), showing disdain for authority, while “heeds correction” (shomer musar) reflects humility; theologically, this underscores teachability as a virtue (cf. Proverbs 13:18). Verse 6’s “great wealth” (chon rav) may include spiritual or material prosperity, contrasted with “trouble” (mehumah) for the wicked; cross-reference Proverbs 10:22. Verse 7’s “spread knowledge” (yazuru da’at) suggests active dissemination, while “not so” reflects the Hebrew’s understated negation of fools’ reliability. Verse 8’s “detestable” (to’evah) and “pleases” (ratson) contrast divine rejection of insincere worship with acceptance of the righteous; theologically, this echoes 1 Samuel 15:22. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 9’s “abhors” (to’avat YHWH) and “loves” (ohav) contrast divine attitudes toward moral choices; “pursue righteousness” (rodeph tzedakah) implies active effort (cf. Psalm 34:14). Verse 10’s “stern discipline” (musar ra) and “die” highlight consequences of rejecting wisdom; cross-reference Proverbs 1:25–26. Verse 11’s “Sheol and Abaddon” represent the realm of death, fully known to God; “hearts of people” (libbot beney adam) underscores divine omniscience (cf. Jeremiah 17:10). Verse 12’s “mocker” (letz) and “reproof” (hokach) parallel verse 5, emphasizing resistance to correction; theologically, this reflects pride’s spiritual danger (cf. Proverbs 16:18). No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 13’s “joyful heart” (lev sameach) and “cheerful face” (panim tovim) reflect inner-outer harmony, while “crushes the spirit” echoes verse 4; cross-reference Proverbs 17:22. Verse 14’s “discerning heart” (lev navon) actively seeks wisdom, contrasted with fools’ passive consumption of folly (nebala). Verse 15’s “continual feast” (mishteh tamid) symbolizes sustained joy through righteousness; theologically, this reflects contentment in God (cf. Psalm 16:11). Verse 16’s “fear of the Lord” (yirat YHWH) is a theological cornerstone, prioritizing spiritual over material wealth (cf. Proverbs 22:4). Verse 17’s “vegetables with love” versus “fattened calf with hatred” emphasizes relational harmony over abundance; cross-reference Proverbs 15:6. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 18’s “hot-tempered” (ish chemah) and “patient” (erek appayim, lit. “long of nose”) contrast impulsivity with restraint; theologically, patience reflects wisdom (cf. Proverbs 14:29). Verse 19’s “hedge of thorns” (mesukat chaddek) symbolizes obstacles from laziness, while “clear highway” (mesillah) denotes ease for the righteous; cross-reference Proverbs 4:11–12. Verse 20’s “wise child” (ben chakam) is inclusive of any offspring, with “despises” (bazah) indicating active contempt. Verse 21’s “senseless” (chasar lev, lit. “lacking heart”) and “discerning” (ish tevunah) contrast folly with wisdom’s uprightness; cross-reference Proverbs 10:23. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 22’s “counsel” (etsah) and “advisors” (yo’atsim) emphasize collaborative wisdom; theologically, this reflects humility (cf. Proverbs 11:14). Verse 23’s “fitting reply” (ma’aneh peh) and “timely word” highlight effective speech; cross-reference Proverbs 25:11. Verse 24’s “path of life” (orach chayyim) and “avoid Sheol” contrast eternal outcomes, with “prudent” (maskil) denoting insight; theologically, this echoes Proverbs 3:2. Verse 25’s “tears down” (yaharos) and “preserves” (yatziv) reflect divine justice and care for the vulnerable (cf. Psalm 68:5); “widow’s boundary” refers to property rights. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 26’s “detestable” (to’avat YHWH) and “pure” (tahor) contrast divine rejection and approval; “gracious words” (imrey no’am) reflect kindness (cf. Proverbs 16:24). Verse 27’s “greedy” (botze’a betza) and “hates bribes” (sone matanot) highlight integrity’s reward; cross-reference Exodus 23:8. Verse 28’s “ponders” (hagah) suggests deliberate thought, contrasting with the wicked’s reckless speech (ra’ot); theologically, this reflects wisdom’s restraint (cf. Proverbs 10:19). Verse 29’s “far from” and “hears” underscore divine justice and responsiveness (cf. Psalm 34:17); “righteous” (tzedikim) implies covenant faithfulness. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 30’s “light of the eyes” (ma’or einayim) symbolizes vitality or joy, with “strengthens the bones” (yedashen etzem) denoting holistic renewal; cross-reference Proverbs 17:22. Verse 31’s “life-giving reproof” (tokat chayyim) emphasizes correction’s value, with “dwells among the wise” suggesting community with the righteous (cf. Proverbs 13:20). Verse 32’s “despises themselves” (mo’es napsho) reflects self-harm through rejecting discipline; “gains understanding” (qanah lev) echoes verse 5. Verse 33’s “fear of the Lord” (yirat YHWH) is central, linking wisdom and humility to divine honor; theologically, this mirrors Proverbs 1:7 and Job 28:28. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
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