Proverbs 14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
14 The wise woman[a] builds her house,
but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
2 Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord,
but one who is devious in conduct despises him.(A)
3 The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,[b]
but the lips of the wise preserve them.(B)
4 Where there are no oxen, there is no grain;
abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.(C)
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for one who understands.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not find words of knowledge.
8 It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go,
but the folly of fools misleads.(D)
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,[c]
but the upright enjoy God’s favor.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed,
but the tent of the upright flourishes.(E)
12 There is a way that seems right to a person,
but its end is the way to death.[d](F)
13 Even in laughter the heart is sad,
and the end of joy is grief.(G)
14 The perverse get what their ways deserve,
and the good, what their deeds deserve.[e](H)
15 The simple believe everything,
but the clever consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious and turn away from evil,
but the fool throws off restraint and is careless.(I)
17 One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly,
and the schemer is hated.(J)
18 The simple are adorned with[f] folly,
but the clever are crowned with knowledge.(K)
19 The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.(L)
20 The poor are disliked even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.(M)
21 Those who despise their neighbors are sinners,
but happy are those who are kind to the poor.(N)
22 Do not those who plan evil err?
Those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but folly is the garland[g] of fools.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who utters lies is a betrayer.(O)
26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and one’s children will have a refuge.(P)
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
so that one may avoid the snares of death.(Q)
28 The glory of a king is a multitude of people;
without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.(R)
30 A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh,
but jealousy makes the bones rot.(S)
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but those who are kind to the needy honor him.(T)
32 The wicked are overthrown by their evildoing,
but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity.[h](U)
33 Wisdom is at home in the mind of one who has understanding,
but it is not[i] known in the heart of fools.(V)
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.(W)
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.(X)
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.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible