The Message

Proverbs 16:21-32 The Message (MSG)

21. A wise person gets known for insight;gracious words add to one’s reputation.

22. True intelligence is a spring of fresh water,while fools sweat it out the hard way.

23. They make a lot of sense, these wise folks;whenever they speak, their reputation increases.

24. Gracious speech is like clover honey—good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.

25. There’s a way that looks harmless enough;look again—it leads straight to hell.

26. Appetite is an incentive to work;hunger makes you work all the harder.

27. Mean people spread mean gossip;their words smart and burn.

28. Troublemakers start fights;gossips break up friendships.

29. Calloused climbers betray their very own friends;they’d stab their own grandmothers in the back.

30. A shifty eye betrays an evil intention;a clenched jaw signals trouble ahead.

31. Gray hair is a mark of distinction,the award for a God-loyal life.

32. Moderation is better than muscle,self-control better than political power.