Proverbs 14:20-34

English Standard Version

^20 (A)The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    ^(B)but the rich has many friends.
²¹ Whoever ^(C)despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but ^(D)blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
²² Do they not go astray who ^(E)devise evil?
    Those who devise good meet^{[a] (F)}steadfast love and faithfulness.
²³ In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk ^(G)tends only to poverty.
²⁴ The crown of the wise is their wealth,
    but the folly of fools brings folly.
²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but one who ^(H)breathes out lies is deceitful.
²⁶ In the fear of the Lord one has ^(I)strong confidence,
    and ^(J)his children will have ^(K)a refuge.
²⁷ The fear of the Lord is ^(L)a fountain of life,
    that one may ^(M)turn away from the snares of death.
²⁸ In ^(N)a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
    but without people a prince is ruined.
²⁹ Whoever is ^(O)slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
³⁰ A tranquil^[b] heart gives ^(P)life to the flesh,
    but ^(Q)envy^[c] makes ^(R)the bones rot.
³¹ Whoever oppresses a poor man ^(S)insults his ^(T)Maker,
    ^(U)but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
^32 (V)The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
    but ^(W)the righteous finds refuge in his death.
³³ Wisdom ^(X)rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.^[d]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
    but sin is a reproach to any people.