King James Bible
"The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD."
This phrase acknowledges human agency in planning and deliberating internally. Ancient Hebrew wisdom literature often emphasized the heart as the seat of thought and intention, recognizing that people actively formulate purposes and designs. The tongue's answer refers to the actual spoken words that emerge from internal preparations. In Hebrew parallelism, this complements the first phrase by moving from internal planning to external expression, highlighting the gap between intention and articulation. The verse's climax asserts divine sovereignty over both human planning and speech. This reflects the wisdom tradition's theme that while humans propose, God ultimately directs outcomes, emphasizing humility before divine providence.