20  ^kMy son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

21  ^lLet them not escape from your sight;

^mkeep them within your heart.

23  Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for ^ofrom it flow ^pthe springs of life.

20  The tongue of the righteous is ^gchoice silver;

the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

20  Deceit is in the heart of ^fthose who devise evil,

but those who plan peace have joy.

13  ^wA glad heart makes a cheerful face,

but by ^xsorrow of heart the spirit is ^ycrushed.

15  All the days of the afflicted are evil,

but ^athe cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

30  ^cThe light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

and ^dgood news refreshes¹ the bones.

1  The plans of the heart belong to man,

but ^lthe answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2  ^mAll the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,

but the Lord ⁿweighs the spirit.¹

5  Everyone who is arrogant in heart is ^ran abomination to the Lord;

^sbe assured, he will not go unpunished.

21  The wise of heart is called discerning,

and sweetness of speech ^rincreases persuasiveness.

22  Good sense is ^sa fountain of life to him who has it,

but the instruction of fools is folly.

23  ^tThe heart of the wise makes his speech judicious

and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

3  ^pThe crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

^qand the Lord tests hearts.

22  ^oA joyful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit ^pdries up the bones.

12  ^mBefore destruction a man’s heart is haughty,

but ⁿhumility comes before honor.

14  A man’s spirit will endure sickness,

but ^pa crushed spirit who can bear?

3  When a man’s folly ^dbrings his way to ruin,

his heart ^erages against the Lord.

20  Listen to advice and accept instruction,

that you may gain wisdom in ^hthe future.

5  The purpose in a man’s heart is like ^gdeep water,

but a man of understanding will draw it out.

27  ^rThe spirit¹ of man is the lamp of the Lord,

^ssearching all ^this innermost parts.

1  The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he ^yturns it wherever he will.

2  ^zEvery way of a man is right in his own eyes,

but the Lord ^aweighs the heart.

11  He who ^floves purity of heart,

and whose ^gspeech is gracious, ^hwill have the king as his friend.

12  Apply your heart to instruction

and your ear to words of knowledge.

11  ^jRescue those who are being taken away to death;

hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12  If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

^kdoes not he who ^lweighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who ^mkeeps watch over your soul know it,

and will he not repay man ⁿaccording to his work?

17  ^vDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

18  lest the Lord see it and be displeased,

and turn away his anger from him.

19  ^wFret not yourself because of evildoers,

and be not ^xenvious of the wicked,

20  for the evil man has no ^qfuture;

^ythe lamp of the wicked will be put out.

19  As in water face reflects face,

so the heart of man reflects the man.

14  Blessed is the one who ^zfears the Lord¹ always,

but whoever ^ahardens his heart will fall into calamity.

1  ^zHe who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

will suddenly be ^abroken ^bbeyond healing.