Proverbs 14
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
14 Wisdom[a] builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.
2 He who walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
3 The talk of a fool is a rod for his back,[b]
but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, there is no[c] grain;
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7 Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of a prudent man is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 God scorns the wicked,[d]
but the upright enjoy his favor.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way which seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.[e]
13 Even in laughter the heart is sad,
and the end of joy is grief.
14 A perverse man will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man with the fruit of his deeds.[f]
15 The simple believes everything,
but the prudent looks where he is going.
16 A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool throws off restraint and is careless.
17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
but a man of discretion is patient.[g]
18 The simple acquire folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the rich has many friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but happy is he who is kind to the poor.
22 Do they not err that devise evil?
Those who devise good meet loyalty and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to want.
24 The crown of the wise is their wisdom,[h]
but folly is the garland[i] of fools.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who utters lies is a betrayer.
26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may avoid the snares of death.
28 In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
but without people a prince is ruined.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh,
but passion makes the bones rot.
31 He who oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is overthrown through his evil-doing,
but the righteous finds refuge through his integrity.[j]
33 Wisdom abides in the mind of a man of understanding,
but it is not[k] known in the heart of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:1 Heb Wisdom of women
- Proverbs 14:3 Cn: Heb a rod of pride
- Proverbs 14:4 Cn: Heb a manger of
- Proverbs 14:9 Cn: Heb obscure
- Proverbs 14:12 Heb ways of death
- Proverbs 14:14 Cn: Heb from upon him
- Proverbs 14:17 Gk: Heb is hated
- Proverbs 14:24 Cn Compare Gk: Heb riches
- Proverbs 14:24 Cn: Heb folly
- Proverbs 14:32 Gk Syr: Heb in his death
- Proverbs 14:33 Gk Syr: Heb lacks not
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
Good News Translation
14 Homes are made by the wisdom of women, but are destroyed by foolishness.
2 Be honest and you show that you have reverence for the Lord; be dishonest and you show that you do not.
3 Proud fools talk too much; the words of the wise protect them.
4 Without any oxen to pull the plow your barn will be empty, but with them it will be full of grain.[a]
5 A reliable witness always tells the truth, but an unreliable one tells nothing but lies.
6 Conceited people can never become wise, but intelligent people learn easily.
7 Stay away from foolish people; they have nothing to teach you.
8 Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.
9 Foolish people don't care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.[b]
10 Your joy is your own; your bitterness is your own. No one can share them with you.
11 A good person's house will still be standing after an evildoer's house has been destroyed.
12 (A)What you think is the right road may lead to death.
13 Laughter may hide sadness. When happiness is gone, sorrow is always there.
14 Bad people will get what they deserve. Good people will be rewarded for their deeds.[c]
15 A fool will believe anything; smart people watch their step.
16 Sensible people are careful to stay out of trouble, but stupid people are careless and act too quickly.
17 People with a hot temper do foolish things; wiser people remain calm.[d]
18 Ignorant people get what their foolishness deserves, but the clever are rewarded with knowledge.
19 Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favor.
20 No one likes the poor, not even their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
21 If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.
22 You will earn the trust and respect of others if you work for good; if you work for evil, you are making a mistake.
23 Work and you will earn a living; if you sit around talking you will be poor.
24 Wise people are rewarded with wealth, but fools are known by[e] their foolishness.
25 A witness saves lives when he tells the truth; when he tells lies, he betrays people.
26 Reverence for the Lord gives confidence and security to a man and his family.
27 Do you want to avoid death? Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life.
28 A king's greatness depends on how many people he rules; without them he is nothing.
29 If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are.
30 Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.
31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.
32 Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good people are protected by their integrity.[f]
33 Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing[g] about wisdom.
34 Righteousness makes a nation great; sin is a disgrace to any nation.
35 Kings are pleased with competent officials, but they punish those who fail them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:4 your barn will be … grain; or you may grow a little grain, but with them you can grow much more.
- Proverbs 14:9 Verse 9 in Hebrew is unclear.
- Proverbs 14:14 Probable text for their deeds; Hebrew from upon them.
- Proverbs 14:17 One ancient translation remain calm; Hebrew are hated.
- Proverbs 14:24 Probable text are known by; Hebrew unclear.
- Proverbs 14:32 Some ancient translations integrity; Hebrew death.
- Proverbs 14:33 One ancient translation nothing; Hebrew does not have this word.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
