Proverbs 14
International Standard Version
How Wise People Live
14 Every wise woman builds up her household,
but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Someone whose conduct is upright fears the Lord,
but whoever is devious in his ways despises him.
3 What a fool says brings[a] a rod to his back,
but the words of the wise protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
but profits come through the strength of the ox.
5 A trustworthy witness does not deceive,
but a false witness spews lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds[b] none,
but learning comes easily to someone who understands.
7 Stay away from a foolish man,
for you will not find competent advice.
8 The wisdom of the prudent helps him know how to live,
but a fool’s stupidity deceives him.
9 Fools make fun of guilt,
but among the upright there are good intentions.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness—
an outsider cannot 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 pathway that seems right to a man,
but in the end it’s a road to death.
13 Even in laughter there may be heartache,
and at the end of joy there may be grief.
14 The faithless one will pay for his behavior,[c]
but a good man will be rewarded[d] for his.
15 An unthinking person believes everything,
but the prudent one thinks before acting.[e]
16 The wise person fears and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and overconfident.
17 A quick tempered person does foolish things,
and a devious man is hated.
18 The naïve inherit folly,
but the careful are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil men will bow down in the presence of good men
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor person is shunned by his neighbor,
but many are the friends of the wealthy.
21 Whoever despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy.
22 Won’t those who plot evil go astray?
But gracious love and truth are for those who plan what is good.
23 In hard work there is always profit,
but too much chattering[f] leads to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity!
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but the person who lies is deceitful.
26 Rock-solid security is found[g] in the fear of the Lord,
and within it one’s children find refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
enabling anyone to escape the snares of death.
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but a shortage of people is a ruler’s ruin.
29 Being slow to get angry compares to great understanding
as being quick-tempered compares to stupidity.
30 A tranquil mind brings life to one’s body,
but jealousy causes one’s bones to rot.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor defies their Creator,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors them.
32 The wicked person is thrown down by his own wrongdoing,
but the righteous person has a place of safety in death.[h]
33 Wisdom is at rest in the mind of the discerning—
even fools know this.[i]
34 Righteousness makes a nation great,
but sin diminishes[j] any people.
35 The king approves the wise servant,
but he is angry at anyone who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Lit. The mouth of the fool
- Proverbs 14:6 The Heb. lacks finds
- Proverbs 14:14 Lit. ways
- Proverbs 14:14 The Heb. lacks will be rewarded
- Proverbs 14:15 Lit. one considers his steps
- Proverbs 14:23 Lit. word of lips
- Proverbs 14:26 The Heb. lacks is found
- Proverbs 14:32 So MT DSS 4QProvb; LXX reads in his own piety
- Proverbs 14:33 So MT; LXX reads but in the heart of fools it is not discerned
- Proverbs 14:34 So DSS 4QProb LXX; MT reads sin is a disgrace to
Proverbs 14
Lexham English Bible
14 The wisest of women[a] builds her house,
but the foolish tears it down with her hands.
2 He who walks in uprightness fears Yahweh,
but he who is devious in his ways displeases him.
3 In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride,
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 When there are no[b] oxen the manger is empty,
but an abundance of crops comes by the strength of an ox.[c]
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but he who breathes out falsehood is a witness of deceit.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, but there is none,
but knowledge comes easily to him who understands.[d]
7 Leave the presence of a foolish man,[e]
for you will not come to know words of knowledge.[f]
8 The wisdom of the clever is understanding his ways,
but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools mock[g] the guilt offering,
but among the upright, it is favorable.
10 The heart[h] knows the bitterness of its soul,[i]
but in its joy, it will not share itself with a stranger.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems upright to[j] a man,
but its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter, a heart may be sad,
and the end of joy may be grief.
14 From his ways, the perverse of heart will be satisfied,
and from his own,[k] so shall a good man.
15 The simple will believe every word,
but the clever will consider his step.
16 The wise is cautious and turns from evil,
but the fool throws off restraint and is confident.
17 He who is short of temper[l] will act foolishly,
and the man who schemes will be hated.
18 The simple are adorned with folly,
but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the lovers of the rich are many.
21 He who despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but he who has mercy on the poor blesses him.
22 Have they not erred, those who plan evil?
But loyalty and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all toil, there is profit,
but the talk[m] of lips leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth;
the folly of fools is folly.
25 He who saves lives[n] is a witness of truth,
but he who utters lies is a betrayer.
26 In the fear of Yahweh, there is confidence of strength,
and for his children, there will be refuge.
27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
in order to turn from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the glory of the king,
but without a population, a prince is ruined.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but the hasty of spirit[o] exalts folly.
30 A heart[p] of tranquility[q] is life to the flesh,
but causes bones of passion to rot.
31 He who oppresses the poor insults him who made him,
but he who has mercy on the poor honors him.
32 By his evildoing, the wicked will be overthrown,
and the righteous will find refuge in his death.
33 In the heart[r] of him who has understanding, wisdom rests,
but even in the midst of fools it becomes known.
34 Righteousness will exalt a nation,
but sin is a reproach to a people.
35 The favor of a king is for the servant who deals wisely,
but his wrath will be on him who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:1 Literally “wise ones of women”
- Proverbs 14:4 Literally “In there is no”
- Proverbs 14:4 Hebrew “bull”
- Proverbs 14:6 Literally “to one who understands it comes easy”
- Proverbs 14:7 Literally “from the presence belonging to a man of foolishness”
- Proverbs 14:7 Literally “lips of knowledge”
- Proverbs 14:9 Hebrew “he mocks”
- Proverbs 14:10 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 14:10 Or “life,” or “inner self”
- Proverbs 14:12 Literally “to the face of”
- Proverbs 14:14 Literally “from upon him”
- Proverbs 14:17 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 14:23 Literally “word, matter, thing”
- Proverbs 14:25 Or “souls,” or “inner selves”
- Proverbs 14:29 Or “breath”
- Proverbs 14:30 Or “mind”
- Proverbs 14:30 Or “he who heals”
- Proverbs 14:33 Or “mind”
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