Passage
The Lord hath made all things for himself: the wicked also for the evil day.
Proverbs 16:4 (DRB)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are open to his eyes: the Lord is the weigher of spirits.
Proverbs 16:3 Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed.
Proverbs 16:4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: the wicked also for the evil day.
Proverbs 16:5 Every proud man is an abomination to the Lord: though hand should be joined to hand, he is not innocent. The beginning of a good way is to do justice: and this is more acceptable with God, than to offer sacrifices.
Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed; and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "all things", "lord", "hath", "himself", "wicked", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "all things" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Lay open thy works to the Lord..." into verse 5's "Every proud man is an abomination to...", so "all things" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "all things" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.