Proverbs 16:27 (YLT)

Passage

A worthless man is preparing evil, And on his lips--as a burning fire.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way right before a man, And its latter end--ways of death.

Proverbs 16:26 A labouring man hath laboured for himself, For his mouth hath caused <FI>him<Fi> to bend over it.

Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man is preparing evil, And on his lips--as a burning fire.

Proverbs 16:28 A froward man sendeth forth contention, A tale-bearer is separating a familiar friend.

Proverbs 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And hath causeth him to go in a way not good.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "worthless", "preparing", "evil", "lips--as", "burning", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "worthless" and "preparing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "A labouring man hath laboured for himself..." into verse 28's "A froward man sendeth forth contention A...", so "worthless" and "preparing" 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 "worthless" and "preparing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.