Proverbs 14
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
14 The wise woman[a] builds her house,
but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
2 Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord,
but one who is devious in conduct despises him.
3 The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,[b]
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, there is no grain;
abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for one who understands.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not find words of knowledge.
8 It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go,
but the folly of fools misleads.
9 Fools mock at the guilt-offering,[c]
but the upright enjoy God’s favour.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed,
but the tent of the upright flourishes.
12 There is a way that seems right to a person,
but its end is the way to death.[d]
13 Even in laughter the heart is sad,
and the end of joy is grief.
14 The perverse get what their ways deserve,
and the good, what their deeds deserve.[e]
15 The simple believe everything,
but the clever consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious and turn away from evil,
but the fool throws off restraint and is careless.
17 One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly,
and the schemer is hated.
18 The simple are adorned with[f] folly,
but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor are disliked even by their neighbours,
but the rich have many friends.
21 Those who despise their neighbours are sinners,
but happy are those who are kind to the poor.
22 Do they not err that plan evil?
Those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wisdom,[g]
but folly is the garland[h] of fools.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who utters lies is a betrayer.
26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and one’s children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
so that one may avoid the snares of death.
28 The glory of a king is a multitude of people;
without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh,
but passion makes the bones rot.
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but those who are kind to the needy honour him.
32 The wicked are overthrown by their evildoing,
but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity.[i]
33 Wisdom is at home in the mind of one who has understanding,
but it is not[j] known in the heart of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favour,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:1 Heb Wisdom of women
- Proverbs 14:3 Cn: Heb a rod of pride
- Proverbs 14:9 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 14:12 Heb ways of death
- Proverbs 14:14 Cn: Heb from upon him
- Proverbs 14:18 Or inherit
- Proverbs 14:24 Cn Compare Gk: Heb riches
- Proverbs 14:24 Cn: Heb is the folly
- Proverbs 14:32 Gk Syr: Heb in their death
- Proverbs 14:33 Gk Syr: Heb lacks not
Proverbs 14
Holman Christian Standard Bible
2 Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord,(C)
but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.(D)
3 The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.(E)
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty,[b]
but an abundant harvest comes
through the strength of an ox.
5 An honest witness does not deceive,
but a dishonest witness utters lies.(F)
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it,
but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive.
7 Stay away from a foolish man;
you will gain no knowledge from his speech.(G)
8 The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
9 Fools mock at making restitution,[c]
but there is goodwill among the upright.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no outsider shares in its joy.
13 Even in laughter a heart may be sad,
and joy may end in grief.(K)
14 The disloyal one will get what his conduct deserves,
and a good man, what his deeds deserve.(L)
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
and a man who schemes is hated.(O)
18 The inexperienced inherit foolishness,
but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow before those who are good,
the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
21 The one who despises his neighbor sins,(R)
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.(S)
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the foolishness of fools produces foolishness.
25 A truthful witness rescues lives,
but one who utters lies is deceitful.(W)
26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence
and his children have a refuge.(X)
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
turning people away from the snares of death.(Y)
28 A large population is a king’s splendor,
but a shortage of people is a ruler’s devastation.
29 A patient person shows great understanding,(Z)
but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.
31 The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker,(AC)
but one who is kind to the needy honors Him.(AD)
32 The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin,(AE)
but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.(AF)
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.(AH)
35 A king favors a wise servant,(AI)
but his anger falls on a disgraceful one.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Some emend to In the mouth of a fool is a rod for his back
- Proverbs 14:4 Or clean
- Proverbs 14:9 Or at guilt offerings
- Proverbs 14:11 Lit flourish
- Proverbs 14:15 Lit the prudent understand
- Proverbs 14:16 Or and falls
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit but word of lips
- Proverbs 14:33 LXX reads unknown
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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