Proverbs 14

¹ The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.

²Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

³By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
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.

⁷Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.

⁹ Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.

¹⁰The 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 that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.

¹⁴The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

¹⁵ The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

¹⁶ One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.

¹⁷A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit 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.

²¹Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

²²Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

²³In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

²⁶In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.

²⁸In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
but without people a prince is ruined.

²⁹Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

³⁰A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh,
but envy makes the bones rot.

³¹Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

³² The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
but the righteous finds refuge in his death.

³³Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.

³⁵A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

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