1 The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He pleases.
2 Every person’s way is right in his own eyes,
But the Lord examines the hearts.
3 To do righteousness and justice
Is preferred by the Lord more than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
The lamp of the wicked, is sin.
5 The plans of the diligent certainly lead to advantage,
But everyone who is in a hurry certainly comes to poverty.
6 The acquisition of treasures by a lying tongue
Is a fleeting vapor, the pursuit of death.
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away,
Because they refuse to act with justice.
8 The way of a guilty person is crooked,
But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
9 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
11 When the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise;
But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The righteous one considers the house of the wicked,
Bringing the wicked to ruin.
13 One who shuts his ear to the outcry of the poor
Will also call out himself, and not be answered.
14 A gift in secret subdues anger,
And a bribe in an inside pocket, strong wrath.
15 The exercise of justice is joy for the righteous,
But terror to those who practice injustice.
16 A person who wanders from the way of understanding
Will rest in the assembly of the dead.
17 One who loves pleasure will become a poor person;
One who loves wine and oil will not become rich.
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous,
And the treacherous is in the place of the upright.
19 It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and irritating woman.
20 There is precious treasure and oil in the home of the wise,
But a foolish person swallows it up.
21 One who pursues righteousness and loyalty
Finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise person scales the city of the mighty
And brings down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 One who guards his mouth and his tongue,
Guards his soul from troubles.
24 “Proud,” “Arrogant,” “Scoffer,” are his names,
One who acts with insolent pride.
25 The desire of the lazy one puts him to death,
For his hands refuse to work;
26 All day long he is craving,
While the righteous gives and does not hold back.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination,
How much more when he brings it with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
But a person who listens will speak forever.
29 A wicked person displays a bold face,
But as for the upright, he makes his way sure.
30 There is no wisdom, no understanding,
And no plan against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
But the victory belongs to the Lord.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified 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 one who has died is freed from sin.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it! 16 Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of that same one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented the parts of your body as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your body’s parts as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in relation to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.