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Proverbs 14
English Standard Version
Proverbs 14
English Standard Version
14 (A)The wisest of women (B)builds her house,
but folly with her own hands (C)tears it down.
2 Whoever (D)walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is (E)devious in his ways despises him.
3 By the mouth of a fool comes (F)a rod for his back,[a]
(G)but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 (H)A faithful witness does not lie,
but (I)a false witness breathes out lies.
6 (J)A scoffer seeks wisdom (K)in vain,
but (L)knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 (M)Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.[b]
10 The heart knows its own (N)bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11 (O)The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 (P)There is a way that seems right to a man,
but (Q)its end is the way to death.[c]
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and (R)the end of joy may be (S)grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be (T)filled with the fruit of his ways,
and (U)a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15 (V)The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 (W)One who is wise is cautious[d] and (X)turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of (Y)quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 (Z)The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 (AA)The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
(AB)but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever (AC)despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but (AD)blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22 Do they not go astray who (AE)devise evil?
Those who devise good meet[e] (AF)steadfast love and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk (AG)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 (AH)breathes out lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the Lord one has (AI)strong confidence,
and (AJ)his children will have (AK)a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is (AL)a fountain of life,
that one may (AM)turn away from the snares of death.
28 In (AN)a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
but without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is (AO)slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil[f] heart gives (AP)life to the flesh,
but (AQ)envy[g] makes (AR)the bones rot.
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man (AS)insults his (AT)Maker,
(AU)but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 (AV)The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
but (AW)the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom (AX)rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.[h]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has (AY)the king's favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride
- Proverbs 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance
- Proverbs 14:12 Hebrew ways of death
- Proverbs 14:16 Or fears [the Lord]
- Proverbs 14:22 Or show
- Proverbs 14:30 Or healing
- Proverbs 14:30 Or jealousy
- Proverbs 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools
Proverbs 14
Common English Bible
Proverbs 14
Common English Bible
14 A wise woman builds her house,
while a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.
2 Those who walk with integrity fear the Lord,
but those who take a crooked path despise him.
3 Pride sprouts in the mouth of a fool,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 When there are no oxen, the stall is clean,
but when there is a strong bull, there is abundant produce.
5 A truthful witness doesn’t lie,
but a false witness spews lies.
6 A mocker searches for wisdom and gets none,
but knowledge comes quickly to the intelligent.
7 Stay away from fools,
for you won’t learn wise speech there.
8 By their wisdom the prudent understand their way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
9 Fools mock a compensation offering,
but favor is with those who do right.
10 The heart knows its own distress;
another person can’t share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed,
but the tent flourishes for those who do right.
12 There is a path that may seem straight to someone,
but in the end it is a path to death.
13 The heart feels pain even in laughter,
and in the end, joy turns to sorrow.
14 Rebellious hearts receive satisfaction from their ways;
the good receive the due reward for their deeds.
15 The naive believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.
16 The wise are careful and avoid evil,
but fools become excited and overconfident.
17 Short-tempered people make stupid mistakes,
and schemers are hated.
18 Stupidity is the lot of the naive,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow down before the good;
wicked people are at the gates of the righteous.
20 Even their neighbors hate the poor,
but many love the wealthy.
21 Those who despise their neighbors are sinners,
but happy are those who are kind to the needy.
22 Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
Those who plan good receive loyalty and faithfulness.
23 There is profit in hard work,
but mere talk leads to poverty.
24 Wealth is the crown of the wise,
and the folly of fools is folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a deceiver proclaims lies.
26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence
and refuge for one’s children.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
turning people away from deathtraps.
28 A king’s glory is a large population,
but a dwindling people is a ruler’s ruin.
29 Patience leads to abundant understanding,
but impatience leads to stupid mistakes.
30 A peaceful mind gives life to the body,
but jealousy rots the bones.
31 Those who exploit the powerless anger their maker,
while those who are kind to the poor honor God.
32 The wicked are thrown down by their own evil,
but the righteous find refuge even in death.
33 Wisdom resides in an understanding heart,
but it’s not[b] known in fools.
34 Righteousness dignifies a nation,
but sin disgraces a people.
35 The king favors an insightful servant,
but is furious at a shameful one.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 14:33 LXX; MT lacks not.
Proverbs 14
New International Version
Proverbs 14
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)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:22 Or show
- Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.