The Ways of Life and Death

14 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
(A)But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
(B)But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Where no oxen are, the [a]trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

A (C)faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter (D)lies.

A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But (E)knowledge is easy to him who understands.
Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of (F)knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.

(G)Fools mock at [b]sin,
But among the upright there is favor.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

11 (H)The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 (I)There is a way that seems right to a man,
But (J)its end is the way of (K)death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And (L)the end of mirth may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will be (M)filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied [c]from (N)above.

15 The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 (O)A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 (P)The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But [d]the rich has many (Q)friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
(R)But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,
But [e]idle chatter leads only to poverty.

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.

25 A true witness [f]delivers (S)souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 (T)The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

29 (U)He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is [g]impulsive exalts folly.

30 A sound heart is life to the body,
But (V)envy is (W)rottenness to the bones.

31 (X)He who oppresses the poor reproaches (Y)his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But (Z)the righteous has a refuge in his death.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But (AA)what is in the heart of fools is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a (AB)nation,
But sin is a [h]reproach to any people.

35 (AC)The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

A Soft Answer Turns Away Wrath

15 A (AD)soft answer turns away wrath,
But (AE)a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
(AF)But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

(AG)The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

A [i]wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

(AH)A fool despises his father’s instruction,
(AI)But he who [j]receives correction is prudent.

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble.

The lips of the wise [k]disperse knowledge,
But the heart of the fool does not do so.

(AJ)The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
But He loves him who (AK)follows righteousness.

10 (AL)Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way,
And (AM)he who hates correction will die.

11 (AN)Hell[l] and [m]Destruction are before the Lord;
So how much more (AO)the hearts of the sons of men.

12 (AP)A scoffer does not love one who corrects him,
Nor will he go to the wise.

13 (AQ)A merry heart makes a cheerful [n]countenance,
But (AR)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(AS)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

16 (AT)Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 (AU)Better is a dinner of [o]herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.

18 (AV)A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

19 (AW)The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns,
But the way of the upright is a highway.

20 (AX)A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish man despises his mother.

21 (AY)Folly is joy to him who is destitute of [p]discernment,
(AZ)But a man of understanding walks uprightly.

22 (BA)Without counsel, plans go awry,
But in the multitude of counselors they are established.

23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And (BB)a word spoken [q]in due season, how good it is!

24 (BC)The way of life winds upward for the wise,
That he may (BD)turn away from [r]hell below.

25 (BE)The Lord will destroy the house of the proud,
But (BF)He will establish the boundary of the widow.

26 (BG)The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord,
(BH)But the words of the pure are pleasant.

27 (BI)He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house,
But he who hates bribes will live.

28 The heart of the righteous (BJ)studies how to answer,
But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.

29 (BK)The Lord is far from the wicked,
But (BL)He hears the prayer of the righteous.

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [s]healthy.

31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life
Will abide among the wise.
32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
33 (BM)The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom,
And (BN)before honor is humility.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:4 manger or feed trough
  2. Proverbs 14:9 Lit. guilt
  3. Proverbs 14:14 Lit. from above himself
  4. Proverbs 14:20 Lit. many are the lovers of the rich
  5. Proverbs 14:23 Lit. talk of the lips
  6. Proverbs 14:25 saves lives
  7. Proverbs 14:29 Lit. short of spirit
  8. Proverbs 14:34 shame or disgrace
  9. Proverbs 15:4 Lit. healing
  10. Proverbs 15:5 Lit. keeps
  11. Proverbs 15:7 spread
  12. Proverbs 15:11 Or Sheol
  13. Proverbs 15:11 Heb. Abaddon
  14. Proverbs 15:13 face
  15. Proverbs 15:17 Or vegetables
  16. Proverbs 15:21 Lit. heart
  17. Proverbs 15:23 Lit. in its time
  18. Proverbs 15:24 Or Sheol
  19. Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat

14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.(C)

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox(D) come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(E)

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(F)

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(H)

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.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.(J)

12 There is a way that appears to be right,(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.(L)

13 Even in laughter(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.(O)

15 The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.(P)

16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,(Q)
    but a fool(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

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)

21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,(X)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.(Y)

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)

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,(AE)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(AF)

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)

15 A gentle answer(AR) turns away wrath,(AS)
    but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge,(AT)
    but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.(AU)

The eyes(AV) of the Lord are everywhere,(AW)
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.(AX)

The soothing tongue(AY) is a tree of life,(AZ)
    but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.(BA)

A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(BB)

The house of the righteous contains great treasure,(BC)
    but the income of the wicked brings ruin.(BD)

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,(BE)
    but the hearts of fools are not upright.

The Lord detests the sacrifice(BF) of the wicked,(BG)
    but the prayer of the upright pleases him.(BH)

The Lord detests the way of the wicked,(BI)
    but he loves those who pursue righteousness.(BJ)

10 Stern discipline awaits anyone who leaves the path;
    the one who hates correction will die.(BK)

11 Death and Destruction[c] lie open before the Lord(BL)
    how much more do human hearts!(BM)

12 Mockers resent correction,(BN)
    so they avoid the wise.

13 A happy heart makes the face cheerful,(BO)
    but heartache crushes the spirit.(BP)

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)

18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,(BU)
    but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.(BV)

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.

22 Plans fail for lack of counsel,(BZ)
    but with many advisers(CA) they succeed.(CB)

23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply(CC)
    and how good is a timely word!(CD)

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)

28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,(CK)
    but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.(CL)

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)

32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,(CP)
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.(CQ)

33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord,(CR)
    and humility comes before honor.(CS)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:22 Or show
  2. Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known
  3. Proverbs 15:11 Hebrew Abaddon