Proverbs 14

¹The wise woman builds her house,

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

²Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,

but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

³A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,

but the lips of the wise protect them.

⁴Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,

but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive,

but a false witness pours out lies.

⁶The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

⁷Stay away from a fool,

for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

but the folly of fools is deception.

⁹Fools mock at making amends for sin,

but goodwill is found among the upright.

¹⁰Each heart knows its own bitterness,

and no one else can share its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.

¹²There is a way that appears to be right,

but in the end it leads to death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,

and the good rewarded for theirs.

¹⁵The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.

¹⁶The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,

but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷A quick-tempered person does foolish things,

and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly,

but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,

and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,

but the rich have many friends.

²¹It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,

but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray?

But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.

²³All hard work brings a profit,

but mere talk leads only to poverty.

²⁴The wealth of the wise is their crown,

but the folly of fools yields folly.

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,

but a false witness is deceitful.

²⁶Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,

and for their children it will be a refuge.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

turning a person from the snares of death.

²⁸A large population is a king’s glory,

but without subjects a prince is ruined.

²⁹Whoever is patient has great understanding,

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

³⁰A heart at peace gives life to the body,

but envy rots the bones.

³¹Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

³²When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,

but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.

³³Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning

and even among fools she lets herself be known.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin condemns any people.

³⁵A king delights in a wise servant,

but a shameful servant arouses his fury.