Proverbs 14

Evangelical Heritage Version

14 A wise woman builds her house,
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
² Whoever walks in the right way fears the Lord,
but a person who is devious in his ways despises him.
³ In the mouth of a stubborn fool there is a proud rod,^[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.
⁴ Without cattle the manger is empty,
but a great harvest is gained by the strength of an ox.
⁵ A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes lies.
⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom yet finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
⁷ Keep away from a foolish person,
since you will not learn anything from his lips.
⁸ The wisdom of a sensible^[b] person is that he understands his way,
but the stupidity of fools is deceptive.^[c]
9 Fools scoff at the idea of guilt,^[d]
but favor is found among the upright.
¹⁰ A heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger can share its joy.
¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will thrive.
¹² There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it is the road to death.
¹³ Even in laughter a heart can ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
¹⁴ A backslider^[e] will be satisfied with his ways,^[f]
and a good man will be satisfied with his.
¹⁵ A gullible person trusts anything,
but a sensible person considers his steps.
¹⁶ A wise person fears and turns from evil,
but a fool is rash and overconfident.
¹⁷ A short-tempered person acts foolishly,
and a schemer is hated.
¹⁸ Gullible people inherit stupidity,
but sensible people embrace knowledge.
¹⁹ Evil people will bow down to good people,
and wicked people will bow at the gates of the righteous.
²⁰ A poor person is hated even by his neighbor,
but those who love a rich person are many.
²¹ A person who despises his neighbor is sinning,
but one who is kind to the oppressed is blessed.
²² Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
But those who plan to do good find mercy and truth.
²³ In all hard work there is gain,
but empty talk leads only to poverty.
²⁴ Their wealth is a crown for the wise,
but the stupidity of fools is just stupidity.
²⁵ A truthful witness saves lives,
but a liar breathes deceit.
²⁶ In the fear of the Lord a person gains strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.
It turns a person away from the snares of death.
²⁸ A large population brings glory to a king.
Without people a ruler is ruined.
²⁹ A patient person has great understanding,
but an impatient person exalts foolishness.
³⁰ A contented heart^[g] gives life to the flesh,
but envy rots the bones.
³¹ A person who oppresses the poor insults his Maker,
but one who is gracious to the needy honors him.
³² A wicked person is brought down by his own evil,
but a righteous person finds refuge even at his death.
³³ Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning.
It can be recognized even among fools.
³⁴ Righteousness lifts up a nation,
but sin brings shame to a people.
³⁵ A king favors a servant who acts wisely,
but he is furious with one who acts shamefully.