1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it whichever way He wishes.
2
Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].
3
To do righteousness and justice
Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice [for wrongs repeatedly committed].
4
Haughty and arrogant eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked [their self-centered pride], is sin [in the eyes of God].
5
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage,
But everyone who acts in haste comes surely to poverty.
6
Acquiring treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the seeking and pursuit of death.
7
The violence of the wicked will [return to them and] drag them away [like fish caught in a net],
Because they refuse to act with justice.
8
The way of the guilty is [exceedingly] crooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
9
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop [on the flat roof, exposed to the weather]
Than in a house shared with a quarrelsome (contentious) woman.
10
The soul of the wicked desires evil [like an addictive substance];
His neighbor finds no compassion in his eyes.
11
When the scoffer is punished, the naive [observes the lesson and] becomes wise;
But when the wise and teachable person is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12
The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked—
How the wicked are cast down to ruin.
13
Whoever shuts his ears at the cry of the poor
Will cry out himself and not be answered.
14
A gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe [hidden] in the pocket, strong wrath.
15
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous (the upright, the one in right standing with God),
But to the evildoers it is disaster.
16
A man who wanders from the way of understanding (godly wisdom)
Will remain in the assembly of the dead.
17
He who loves [only selfish] pleasure will become a poor man;
He who loves and is devoted to wine and [olive] oil will not become rich.
18
The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
And the treacherous in the place of the upright [for they fall into their own traps].
19
It is better to dwell in a desert land
Than with a contentious and troublesome woman.
20
There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],
But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.
21
He who earnestly seeks righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22
A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mighty
And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue
Guards himself from troubles.
24
“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names
Who acts with overbearing and insolent pride.
25
The desire of the lazy kills him,
For his hands refuse to labor;
26
He craves all the day long [and does no work],
But the righteous [willingly] gives and does not withhold [what he has].
27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable and offensive [to the Lord].
How much more [unacceptable and insulting can it be] when he brings it with evil intention?
28
A false witness will perish,
But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.
29
A wicked man puts on a bold face,
But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].
30
There is no [human] wisdom or understanding
Or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord.
31
The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But deliverance and victory belong to the Lord.
1 What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? 2 Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer? 3 Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways]. 5 For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 We know that our old self [our human nature without the Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For the person who has died [with Christ] has been freed from [the power of] sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live [together] with Him, 9 because we know [the self-evident truth] that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin [ending its power and paying the sinner’s debt] once and for all; and the life that He lives, He lives to [glorify] God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. 11 Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin [and your relationship to it broken], but alive to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions. 13 Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members [all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness [yielded] to God. 14 For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].
15 What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we are not under Law, but under [God’s] grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)? 17 But thank God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. 18 And having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of conformity to God’s will and purpose]. 19 I am speaking in [familiar] human terms because of your natural limitations [your spiritual immaturity]. For just as you presented your bodily members as slaves to impurity and to [moral] lawlessness, leading to further lawlessness, so now offer your members [your abilities, your talents] as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification [that is, being set apart for God’s purpose].
20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness [you had no desire to conform to God’s will]. 21 So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death! 22 But now since you have been set free from sin and have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the outcome [of this] is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.