Proverbs 14  Common English Bible

14 A wise woman builds her house,
    while a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.
² Those who walk with integrity fear the Lord,
    but those who take a crooked path despise him.
³ Pride sprouts in the mouth of a fool,^[a]
    but the lips of the wise protect them.
⁴ When there are no oxen, the stall is clean,
    but when there is a strong bull, there is abundant produce.
⁵ A truthful witness doesn’t lie,
    but a false witness spews lies.
⁶ A mocker searches for wisdom and gets none,
    but knowledge comes quickly to the intelligent.
⁷ Stay away from fools,
    for you won’t learn wise speech there.
⁸ By their wisdom the prudent understand their way,
    but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
⁹ Fools mock a compensation offering,
    but favor is with those who do right.
¹⁰ The heart knows its own distress;
    another person can’t share its joy.
¹¹ The house of the wicked is destroyed,
    but the tent flourishes for those who do right.
¹² There is a path that may seem straight to someone,
    but in the end it is a path to death.
¹³ The heart feels pain even in laughter,
    and in the end, joy turns to sorrow.
¹⁴ Rebellious hearts receive satisfaction from their ways;
    the good receive the due reward for their deeds.
¹⁵ The naive believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.
¹⁶ The wise are careful and avoid evil,
    but fools become excited and overconfident.
¹⁷ Short-tempered people make stupid mistakes,
    and schemers are hated.
¹⁸ Stupidity is the lot of the naive,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
¹⁹ Evil people will bow down before the good;
    wicked people are at the gates of the righteous.
²⁰ Even their neighbors hate the poor,
    but many love the wealthy.
²¹ Those who despise their neighbors are sinners,
    but happy are those who are kind to the needy.
²² Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
    Those who plan good receive loyalty and faithfulness.
²³ There is profit in hard work,
    but mere talk leads to poverty.
²⁴ Wealth is the crown of the wise,
    and the folly of fools is folly.
²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a deceiver proclaims lies.
²⁶ In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence
    and refuge for one’s children.
²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    turning people away from deathtraps.
²⁸ A king’s glory is a large population,
    but a dwindling people is a ruler’s ruin.
²⁹ Patience leads to abundant understanding,
    but impatience leads to stupid mistakes.
³⁰ A peaceful mind gives life to the body,
    but jealousy rots the bones.
³¹ Those who exploit the powerless anger their maker,
    while those who are kind to the poor honor God.
³² The wicked are thrown down by their own evil,
    but the righteous find refuge even in death.
³³ Wisdom resides in an understanding heart,
    but it’s not^[b] known in fools.
³⁴ Righteousness dignifies a nation,
    but sin disgraces a people.
³⁵ The king favors an insightful servant,
    but is furious at a shameful one.