Proverbs 14:1-35
14 The truly wise woman builds up her house,+But the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 The one walking in his uprightness fears Jehovah,But the one whose ways are devious* despises Him.
3 The rod of haughtiness is in the mouth of the fool,But the lips of the wise will protect them.
4 Where there are no cattle the manger is clean,But the power of a bull yields an abundant harvest.
5 A faithful witness will not lie,But a false witness lies with every breath.+
6 The scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,But knowledge comes easily to the person with understanding.+
7 Stay away from the foolish man,For you will not find knowledge on his lips.+
8 By wisdom the shrewd man understands the way he is going,But the stupid are deceived* by their foolishness.+
9 Fools make fun of guilt,*+But among the upright, there is a willingness to reconcile.*
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,*And no outsider can share in its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,+But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,+But in the end it leads to death.+
13 Even in laughter the heart may feel pain,And rejoicing may end in grief.
14 The one wayward at heart will reap the results of his ways,+But the good man reaps the reward of his dealings.+
15 The naive* person believes every word,But the shrewd one ponders each step.+
16 The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil,But the stupid one is reckless* and overconfident.
17 The one who is quick to anger acts foolishly,+But the man who thinks things out* is hated.
18 The naive* will inherit foolishness,But the shrewd are crowned with knowledge.+
19 Bad people will have to bow down before the good,And the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbors,+But many are the friends of the rich person.+
21 The one who despises his neighbor sins,But whoever shows compassion to the lowly is happy.+
22 Will not those who plot mischief go astray?
But those intent on doing good will receive loyal love and faithfulness.+
23 There is benefit in every kind of hard work,But mere talk leads to want.+
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth;But the foolishness of the stupid is only foolishness.+
25 A true witness saves lives,*But a deceitful one lies with every breath.
26 There is strong confidence in the fear of Jehovah,+And it will be a refuge for his children.+
27 The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life,To turn one away from the snares of death.
28 A multitude of people are a king’s majesty,+But a ruler without subjects is ruined.
29 The one who is slow to anger has great discernment,+But the impatient one displays his foolishness.+
30 A calm heart gives life* to the body,But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.+
31 The one who defrauds the lowly one insults his Maker,+But whoever shows compassion to the poor glorifies Him.+
32 The wicked one will be brought down by his own evil,But the righteous one will find refuge in his integrity.+
33 Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of an understanding person,+But among the stupid it must make itself known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,+But sin is disgraceful to a people.
35 The king finds pleasure in a servant who acts with insight,+But his fury is against the one who acts shamefully.+
Footnotes
^ Or “crooked.”
^ Or possibly, “the stupid deceive others.”
^ Or “of making amends.”
^ Or “there is goodwill.”
^ Or “the bitterness of its soul.”
^ Or “inexperienced.”
^ Or “furious.”
^ Or “the man of thinking abilities.”
^ Or “inexperienced.”
^ Or “souls.”
^ Or “health.”
