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Proverbs 14
Lexham English Bible
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”
Proverbs 14
New Living Translation
Proverbs 14
New Living Translation
14 A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
2 Those who follow the right path fear the Lord;
those who take the wrong path despise him.
3 A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him,
but the words of the wise keep them safe.
4 Without oxen a stable stays clean,
but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.
5 An honest witness does not lie;
a false witness breathes lies.
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it,
but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding.
7 Stay away from fools,
for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.
8 The prudent understand where they are going,
but fools deceive themselves.
9 Fools make fun of guilt,
but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can fully share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the godly will flourish.
12 There is a path before each person that seems right,
but it ends in death.
13 Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.
14 Backsliders get what they deserve;
good people receive their reward.
15 Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!
The prudent carefully consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious[a] and avoid danger;
fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.
17 Short-tempered people do foolish things,
and schemers are hated.
18 Simpletons are clothed with foolishness,[b]
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow before good people;
the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.
20 The poor are despised even by their neighbors,
while the rich have many “friends.”
21 It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor;
blessed are those who help the poor.
22 If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;
if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.
23 Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty!
24 Wealth is a crown for the wise;
the effort of fools yields only foolishness.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is a traitor.
26 Those who fear the Lord are secure;
he will be a refuge for their children.
27 Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
it offers escape from the snares of death.
28 A growing population is a king’s glory;
a prince without subjects has nothing.
29 People with understanding control their anger;
a hot temper shows great foolishness.
30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
jealousy is like cancer in the bones.
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but helping the poor honors him.
32 The wicked are crushed by disaster,
but the godly have a refuge when they die.
33 Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart;
wisdom is not[c] found among fools.
34 Godliness makes a nation great,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 A king rejoices in wise servants
but is angry with those who disgrace him.
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
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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.