Proverbs 14
1 Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.
Wise women build houses: but a foolish one digs [hers] down with her hands.
2 He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour.
He that walks uprightly fears the Lord; but he that is perverse in his ways shall be dishonored.
3 In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.
Out of the mouth of fools [comes] a rod of pride; but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.
Where no oxen are, the cribs are clean; but where there is abundant produce, the strength of the ox is apparent.
5 A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.
A faithful witness does not lie; but an unjust witness kindles falsehoods.
6 The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.
You shall seek wisdom with bad men, and shall not find it; but discretion is easily available with the prudent.
7 Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.
All things are adverse to a foolish man; but wise lips are the weapons of discretion.
8 The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.
The wisdom of the prudent will understand their ways; but the folly of fools leads astray.
9 In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.
The houses of transgressors will need purification; but the houses of the just are acceptable.
10 No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.
[If] a man's mind is intelligent, his soul is sorrowful; and when he rejoices, he has no fellowship with pride.
11 The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.
The houses of ungodly men shall be utterly destroyed; but the tabernacles of them that walk uprightly shall stand.
12 There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.
There is a way which seems to be right with men, but the ends of it reach to the depths of hell. (questioned)
13 Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.
Grief mingles not with mirth; and joy in the end comes to grief.
14 He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings.
A stout-hearted [man] shall be filled with his own ways; and a good man with his own thoughts.
15 The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.
The simple believes every word: but the prudent man betakes himself to afterthought.
16 The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.
A wise man fears, and departs from evil; but the fool trusts in himself, and joins himself with the transgressor.
17 He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.
A passionate man acts inconsiderately; but a sensible man bears up under many things.
18 Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.
Fools shall have mischief for their portion; but the prudent shall take fast hold of understanding.
19 The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.
Evil men shall fall before the good; and the ungodly shall attend at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.
Friends will hate poor friends; but the friends of the rich are many.
21 He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.
He that dishonors the needy sins: but he that has pity on the poor is most blessed.
22 Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.
They that go astray devise evils: but the good devise mercy and truth. The framers of evil do not understand mercy and truth: but compassion and faithfulness are with the framers of good.
23 In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.
With every one [who is] careful there is abundance: but the pleasure-taking and indolent shall be in lack.
24 Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.
A prudent man is the crown of the wise: but the occupation of fools is evil.
25 A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.
A faithful witness shall deliver a soul from evil: but a deceitful [man] kindles falsehoods.
26 For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.
In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and he leaves his children a support.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.
The commandment of the Lord is a fountain of life; and it causes [men] to turn aside from the snare of death.
28 A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.
In a populous nation is the glory of a king: but in the failure of people is the ruin of a prince.
29 He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.
A man slow to wrath abounds in wisdom: but a man of impatient spirit is very foolish.
30 A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.
A meek-spirited man is a healer of the heart: but a sensitive heart is a corruption of the bones.
31 He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.
He that oppresses the needy provokes his Maker: but he that honors him has pity upon the poor.
32 The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
The ungodly shall be driven away in his wickedness: but he who is secure in his own holiness is just.
33 Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.
There is wisdom in the good heart of a man: but in the heart of fools it is not discerned.
34 By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.
Righteousness exalts a nation: but sins diminish tribes.
35 The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.
An understanding servant is acceptable to a king; and by his good behavior he removes disgrace.
