Proverbs 14
Legacy Standard Bible
14 The [a](A)wise woman builds her house,
But the woman of folly tears it down with her own hands.
2 He who (B)walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh,
But he who is (C)devious in his ways despises Him.
3 In the mouth of the ignorant fool is a rod of lofty pride,
But (D)the lips of the wise will keep them.
4 Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.
5 A (E)faithful witness will not lie,
But a (F)false witness (G)breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.
7 Leave the (H)presence of a fool,
As you have not known lips of knowledge there.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But (I)the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Ignorant fools scoff at guilt,
But (J)among the upright there is favor.
10 The heart knows its own (K)bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its gladness.
11 The (L)house of the wicked will be destroyed,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There (M)is a way which seems right to a man,
But its (N)end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the (O)end of joy may be grief.
14 The one who turns back in his heart will be satisfied with his (P)ways,
But a good man will (Q)be satisfied [b]with his.
15 The simple believes everything,
But the prudent one discerns his steps.
16 A wise man fears and (R)turns away from evil,
But a fool gets angry and feels secure.
17 A quick-tempered man acts in folly,
And a man of evil schemes is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are [c]crowned with knowledge.
19 The (S)evil will bow down before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The (T)poor is hated even by his neighbor,
But those who love the rich are many.
21 He who (U)despises his neighbor sins,
But how (V)blessed is he who is gracious to the [d]poor.
22 Will they not wander in error who (W)devise evil?
But lovingkindness and truth will be to those who devise good.
23 In all painful labor there is profit,
But mere words from the lips lead only to want.
24 The (X)crown of the wise is their riches,
But the folly of fools is folly.
25 A truthful witness delivers souls,
But he who (Y)breathes out lies is deceitful.
26 In the [e](Z)fear of Yahweh there is strong security,
And [f]his children will have refuge.
27 The [g]fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
To turn aside from the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is a king’s splendor,
But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.
29 He who is (AA)slow to anger has great discernment,
But he who is [h]quick-tempered raises up folly.
30 A [i](AB)tranquil heart is life to the body,
But jealousy is (AC)rottenness to the bones.
31 He (AD)who oppresses the poor reproaches (AE)his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
32 The wicked is (AF)thrust down by his own evil,
But the (AG)righteous takes refuge even in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But in the midst of fools it is merely made known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a (AH)servant who acts insightfully,
But his fury is toward him who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:1 Lit wise women
- Proverbs 14:14 Lit from himself
- Proverbs 14:18 Lit surrounded
- Proverbs 14:21 Or afflicted
- Proverbs 14:26 Or reverence
- Proverbs 14:26 Or His
- Proverbs 14:27 Or reverence
- Proverbs 14:29 Lit short of spirit
- Proverbs 14:30 Lit healing
Proverbs 14
Evangelical Heritage Version
More Wise Ways to Live
14 A wise woman builds her house,
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Whoever walks in the right way fears the Lord,
but a person who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 In the mouth of a stubborn fool there is a proud rod,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Without cattle the manger is empty,
but a great harvest is gained by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom yet finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Keep away from a foolish person,
since you will not learn anything from his lips.
8 The wisdom of a sensible[b] person is that he understands his way,
but the stupidity of fools is deceptive.[c]
9 Fools scoff at the idea of guilt,[d]
but favor is found among the upright.
10 A heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger can share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will thrive.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it is the road to death.
13 Even in laughter a heart can ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
14 A backslider[e] will be satisfied with his ways,[f]
and a good man will be satisfied with his.
15 A gullible person trusts anything,
but a sensible person considers his steps.
16 A wise person fears and turns from evil,
but a fool is rash and overconfident.
17 A short-tempered person acts foolishly,
and a schemer is hated.
18 Gullible people inherit stupidity,
but sensible people embrace knowledge.
19 Evil people will bow down to good people,
and wicked people will bow at the gates of the righteous.
20 A poor person is hated even by his neighbor,
but those who love a rich person are many.
21 A person who despises his neighbor is sinning,
but one who is kind to the oppressed is blessed.
22 Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
But those who plan to do good find mercy and truth.
23 In all hard work there is gain,
but empty talk leads only to poverty.
24 Their wealth is a crown for the wise,
but the stupidity of fools is just stupidity.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a liar breathes deceit.
26 In the fear of the Lord a person gains strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.
It turns a person away from the snares of death.
28 A large population brings glory to a king.
Without people a ruler is ruined.
29 A patient person has great understanding,
but an impatient person exalts foolishness.
30 A contented heart[g] gives life to the flesh,
but envy rots the bones.
31 A person who oppresses the poor insults his Maker,
but one who is gracious to the needy honors him.
32 A wicked person is brought down by his own evil,
but a righteous person finds refuge even at his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning.
It can be recognized even among fools.
34 Righteousness lifts up a nation,
but sin brings shame to a people.
35 A king favors a servant who acts wisely,
but he is furious with one who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 The meaning of a proud rod is uncertain, but there is no textual support for the common emendation, a rod for his back.
- Proverbs 14:8 Or prudent
- Proverbs 14:8 Or deceives them
- Proverbs 14:9 Or the need for a guilt offering
- Proverbs 14:14 Or a person who deserts God
- Proverbs 14:14 Or will be repaid for his ways
- Proverbs 14:30 Literally a healing heart
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The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.