Proverbs 14-22
New International Version
14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
2 Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
but those who despise him are devious in their ways.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox(D) come abundant harvests.
5 An honest witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.(E)
6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(F)
7 Stay away from a fool,
for you will not find knowledge on their lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(G)
but the folly of fools is deception.(H)
9 Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.
13 Even in laughter(M) the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.
15 The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.(P)
17 A quick-tempered person(S) does foolish things,(T)
and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.(U)
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.(V)
20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.(W)
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?(Z)
But those who plan what is good find[a] love and faithfulness.
23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.(AA)
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.(AB)
26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,(AC)
and for their children it will be a refuge.(AD)
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.(AG)
29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,(AH)
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.(AI)
30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.(AJ)
31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(AK)
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(AL)
32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,(AM)
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.(AN)
33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning(AO)
and even among fools she lets herself be known.[b]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,(AP)
but sin condemns any people.
35 A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant arouses his fury.(AQ)
5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(BB)
6 The house of the righteous contains great treasure,(BC)
but the income of the wicked brings ruin.(BD)
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,(BE)
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice(BF) of the wicked,(BG)
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.(BH)
10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
the one who hates correction will die.(BK)
12 Mockers resent correction,(BN)
so they avoid the wise.
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,(BQ)
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.(BR)
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.(BS)
17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.(BT)
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,(BW)
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,(BX)
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,(BY)
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,(CE)
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.(CF)
26 The Lord detests the thoughts(CG) of the wicked,(CH)
but gracious words are pure(CI) in his sight.
27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.(CJ)
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.(CM)
30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.(CN)
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
will be at home among the wise.(CO)
32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,(CP)
but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.(CQ)
16 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.(CT)
3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.(CX)
6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the Lord(DC) evil is avoided.(DD)
7 When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
he causes their enemies to make peace(DE) with them.(DF)
9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.(DI)
10 The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
and his mouth does not betray justice.(DJ)
11 Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.(DK)
12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.(DL)
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value the one who speaks what is right.(DM)
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their ways preserve their lives.(DT)
19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,[d](DX)
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.(DY)
22 Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,(EA)
but folly brings punishment to fools.
26 The appetite of laborers works for them;
their hunger drives them on.
29 A violent person entices their neighbor
and leads them down a path that is not good.(EL)
30 Whoever winks(EM) with their eye is plotting perversity;
whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.
31 Gray hair is a crown of splendor;(EN)
it is attained in the way of righteousness.
32 Better a patient person than a warrior,
one with self-control than one who takes a city.
17 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet
than a house full of feasting, with strife.(ER)
2 A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance as one of the family.
4 A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
5 Whoever mocks the poor(EU) shows contempt for their Maker;(EV)
whoever gloats over disaster(EW) will not go unpunished.(EX)
6 Children’s children(EY) are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
7 Eloquent lips are unsuited to a godless fool—
how much worse lying lips to a ruler!(EZ)
8 A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
they think success will come at every turn.(FA)
9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(FB)
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(FC)
10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person
more than a hundred lashes a fool.
11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God;
the messenger of death will be sent against them.
12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool bent on folly.(FD)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.(FG)
16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?(FJ)
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(FK)
18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.(FL)
19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(FM)
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes(FR) wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(FS)
26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(FT)
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(FU)
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(FV)
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.(FW)
18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.
2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.(FX)
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes reproach.
4 The words of the mouth are deep waters,(FY)
but the fountain of wisdom is a rushing stream.
6 The lips of fools bring them strife,
and their mouths invite a beating.(GB)
8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.(GE)
9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.(GF)
11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city;(GI)
they imagine it a wall too high to scale.
12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.(GJ)
13 To answer before listening—
that is folly and shame.(GK)
14 The human spirit can endure in sickness,
but a crushed spirit who can bear?(GL)
15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(GM)
for the ears of the wise seek it out.
16 A gift(GN) opens the way
and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.
17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.
18 Casting the lot settles disputes(GO)
and keeps strong opponents apart.
19 A brother wronged(GP) is more unyielding than a fortified city;
disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.
20 From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled;
with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.(GQ)
23 The poor plead for mercy,
but the rich answer harshly.
24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(GV)
19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
than a fool whose lips are perverse.(GW)
2 Desire without knowledge is not good—
how much more will hasty feet miss the way!(GX)
4 Wealth attracts many friends,
but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(HA)
7 The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
how much more do their friends avoid them!(HG)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
they are nowhere to be found.[g](HH)
8 The one who gets wisdom loves life;
the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.(HI)
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever pours out lies will perish.(HJ)
10 It is not fitting for a fool(HK) to live in luxury—
how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!(HL)
11 A person’s wisdom yields patience;(HM)
it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(HQ)
and a quarrelsome wife is like
the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(HR)
15 Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the shiftless go hungry.(HU)
16 Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,
but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.(HV)
17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(HW)
and he will reward them for what they have done.(HX)
18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to their death.(HY)
19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
rescue them, and you will have to do it again.
20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,(HZ)
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(IA)
21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.(IB)
22 What a person desires is unfailing love[h];
better to be poor than a liar.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(IC)
24 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he will not even bring it back to his mouth!(ID)
25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke the discerning,(IE) and they will gain knowledge.(IF)
26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(IG)
is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(IH)
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.(II)
29 Penalties are prepared for mockers,
and beatings for the backs of fools.(IJ)
2 A king’s wrath strikes terror like the roar of a lion;(IO)
those who anger him forfeit their lives.(IP)
5 The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters,(IU)
but one who has insight draws them out.
6 Many claim to have unfailing love,
but a faithful person who can find?(IV)
10 Differing weights and differing measures—
the Lord detests them both.(JC)
11 Even small children are known by their actions,
so is their conduct really pure(JD) and upright?
12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the Lord has made them both.(JE)
13 Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;(JF)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.
15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
hold it in pledge(JG) if it is done for an outsider.(JH)
18 Plans are established by seeking advice;
so if you wage war, obtain guidance.(JK)
19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(JL)
so avoid anyone who talks too much.
20 If someone curses their father or mother,(JM)
their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(JN)
21 An inheritance claimed too soon
will not be blessed at the end.
22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”(JO)
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.(JP)
23 The Lord detests differing weights,
and dishonest scales do not please him.(JQ)
24 A person’s steps are directed(JR) by the Lord.(JS)
How then can anyone understand their own way?(JT)
25 It is a trap to dedicate something rashly
and only later to consider one’s vows.(JU)
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
he drives the threshing wheel over them.(JV)
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
gray hair the splendor of the old.(KA)
21 In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water
that he channels toward all who please him.(KD)
2 A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.(KE)
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.(KF)
4 Haughty eyes(KG) and a proud heart—
the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit(KH)
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,(KJ)
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,(KK)
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(KL)
10 The wicked crave evil;
their neighbors get no mercy from them.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
by paying attention to the wise they get knowledge.(KM)
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.(KQ)
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.(KR)
16 Whoever strays from the path of prudence
comes to rest in the company of the dead.(KS)
17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.(KT)
18 The wicked become a ransom(KU) for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(KV)
20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil,
but fools gulp theirs down.
22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty(KY)
and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.
24 The proud and arrogant person(LB)—“Mocker” is his name—
behaves with insolent fury.
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,(LC)
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous(LD) give without sparing.(LE)
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable(LF)—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!(LG)
29 The wicked put up a bold front,
but the upright give thought to their ways.(LJ)
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.(LM)
22 A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.(LN)
2 Rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord is the Maker of them all.(LO)
5 In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,(LT)
but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.
6 Start(LU) children off on the way they should go,(LV)
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.(LW)
7 The rich rule over the poor,
and the borrower is slave to the lender.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:22 Or show
- Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known
- Proverbs 15:11 Hebrew Abaddon
- Proverbs 16:20 Or whoever speaks prudently finds what is good
- Proverbs 16:21 Or words make a person persuasive
- Proverbs 16:23 Or prudent / and make their lips persuasive
- Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Proverbs 19:22 Or Greed is a person’s shame
- Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are
- Proverbs 21:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts vapor for those who seek death
- Proverbs 21:12 Or The righteous person
- Proverbs 21:21 Or righteousness
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