Font Size
Proverbs 14-15
Common English Bible
Proverbs 14-15
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.
15 A sensitive answer turns back wrath,
but an offensive word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise enhances knowledge,
but the mouth of a fool gushes with stupidity.
3 The Lord’s eyes are everywhere,
keeping watch on evil and good people.
4 Wholesome speech is a tree of life,
but dishonest talk breaks the spirit.
5 A fool doesn’t like a father’s instruction,
but those who heed correction are mature.
6 Great treasure is in the house of the righteous,
but the gain of the wicked brings trouble.
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,
but the hearts of fools have none.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifices of the wicked,
but favors the prayers of those who do right.
9 The Lord detests the path of the wicked,
but loves those who pursue righteousness.
10 Discipline is severe for those who abandon the way;
those who hate correction will die.
11 The grave[c] and the underworld[d] lie open before the Lord;
how much more the hearts of human beings!
12 Mockers don’t like those who correct them.
They won’t go to the wise.
13 A joyful heart brightens one’s face,
but a troubled heart breaks the spirit.
14 An understanding heart seeks knowledge;
but fools feed on folly.
15 All the days of the needy are hard,
but a happy heart has a continual feast.
16 Better a little with fear of the Lord
than a great treasure with turmoil.
17 Better a meal of greens with love
than a plump calf with hate.
18 Hotheads stir up conflict,
but patient people calm down strife.
19 The path of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,
but the way of those who do right is a clear road.
20 A wise child brings joy to a father,
but fools despise their mothers.
21 Folly is joy to those who lack sense,
but those with understanding walk straight ahead.
22 Plans fail with no counsel,
but with many counselors they succeed.
23 To give an appropriate answer is a joy;
how good is a word at the right time!
24 For those with insight, life is an upward path,
avoiding the grave [e] below.
25 The Lord snatches away the arrogant one’s house,
but he preserves the widow’s boundaries.
26 The Lord detests evil plans,
but gracious words are pure.
27 Those who acquire things unjustly gain trouble for their house,
but those who hate bribes will live.
28 The righteous heart reflects before answering,
but the wicked mouth blurts out evil.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he listens to the prayers of the righteous.
30 Bright eyes give joy to the heart;
good news strengthens the bones.
31 The ear that listens to life-giving correction
dwells among the wise.
32 Those who refuse discipline despise themselves,
but those who listen to correction gain understanding.
33 The fear of the Lord is wise instruction,
and humility comes before respect.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 14:33 LXX; MT lacks not.
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Sheol
- Proverbs 15:11 Heb Abaddon
- Proverbs 15:24 Heb Sheol
Proverbs 14-15
New International Version
Proverbs 14-15
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)
5 A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(BB)
6 The house of the righteous contains great treasure,(BC)
but the income of the wicked brings ruin.(BD)
7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge,(BE)
but the hearts of fools are not upright.
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice(BF) of the wicked,(BG)
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.(BH)
10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
the one who hates correction will die.(BK)
12 Mockers resent correction,(BN)
so they avoid the wise.
14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,(BQ)
but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.
15 All the days of the oppressed are wretched,
but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.(BR)
16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.(BS)
17 Better a small serving of vegetables with love
than a fattened calf with hatred.(BT)
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,(BW)
but the path of the upright is a highway.
20 A wise son brings joy to his father,(BX)
but a foolish man despises his mother.
21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,(BY)
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,(CE)
but he sets the widow’s boundary stones in place.(CF)
26 The Lord detests the thoughts(CG) of the wicked,(CH)
but gracious words are pure(CI) in his sight.
27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.(CJ)
29 The Lord is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.(CM)
30 Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.(CN)
31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
will be at home among the wise.(CO)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:22 Or show
- Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known
- Proverbs 15:11 Hebrew Abaddon
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.