Proverbs 14

¹The 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.

⁵A faithful witness does not lie,

but a false witness breathes out lies.

⁶A 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.

⁹Fools mock at the guilt offering,

but the upright enjoy acceptance.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness,

and no stranger shares its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There 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.

¹⁵The simple believes everything,

but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

¹⁶One 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.

¹⁹The evil bow down before the good,

the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The 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.

³²The 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.