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14 The wise woman[a] builds her house,
    but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord,
    but one who is devious in conduct despises him.
The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,[b]
    but the lips of the wise preserve them.
Where there are no oxen, there is no grain;
    abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
A faithful witness does not lie,
    but a false witness breathes out lies.
A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
    but knowledge is easy for one who understands.
Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not find words of knowledge.
It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go,
    but the folly of fools misleads.
Fools mock at the guilt-offering,[c]
    but the upright enjoy God’s favour.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright flourishes.
12 There is a way that seems right to a person,
    but its end is the way to death.[d]
13 Even in laughter the heart is sad,
    and the end of joy is grief.
14 The perverse get what their ways deserve,
    and the good, what their deeds deserve.[e]
15 The simple believe everything,
    but the clever consider their steps.
16 The wise are cautious and turn away from evil,
    but the fool throws off restraint and is careless.
17 One who is quick-tempered acts foolishly,
    and the schemer is hated.
18 The simple are adorned with[f] folly,
    but the clever are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor are disliked even by their neighbours,
    but the rich have many friends.
21 Those who despise their neighbours are sinners,
    but happy are those who are kind to the poor.
22 Do they not err that plan evil?
    Those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wisdom,[g]
    but folly is the garland[h] 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 one’s children will have a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    so that one may avoid the snares of death.
28 The glory of a king is a multitude of people;
    without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil mind gives life to the flesh,
    but passion makes the bones rot.
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
    but those who are kind to the needy honour him.
32 The wicked are overthrown by their evildoing,
    but the righteous find a refuge in their integrity.[i]
33 Wisdom is at home in the mind of one who has understanding,
    but it is not[j] 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 favour,
    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:1 Heb Wisdom of women
  2. Proverbs 14:3 Cn: Heb a rod of pride
  3. Proverbs 14:9 Meaning of Heb uncertain
  4. Proverbs 14:12 Heb ways of death
  5. Proverbs 14:14 Cn: Heb from upon him
  6. Proverbs 14:18 Or inherit
  7. Proverbs 14:24 Cn Compare Gk: Heb riches
  8. Proverbs 14:24 Cn: Heb is the folly
  9. Proverbs 14:32 Gk Syr: Heb in their death
  10. Proverbs 14:33 Gk Syr: Heb lacks not

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)

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