Proverbs 14

14Every wise woman builds her house, ^h

but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. ⁱ

²Whoever lives with integrity fears the Lord, ^j

but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him. ^k

³The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline, ^l

but the lips of the wise protect them. ^m

⁴Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty, ⁿ

but an abundant harvest comes

through the strength of an ox.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive,

but a dishonest witness utters lies. ^o

⁶A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it,

but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive.

⁷Stay away from a foolish man;

you will gain no knowledge from his speech. ^p

⁸The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way,

but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

⁹Fools mock at making restitution, ^q

but there is goodwill among the upright.

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness,

and no outsider shares in its joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will stand. ^rs

¹²There is a way that seems right to a man, ^t

but its end is the way to death. ^u

¹³Even in laughter a heart may be sad,

and joy may end in grief. ^v

¹⁴The disloyal one will get what his conduct deserves,

and a good man, what his deeds deserve. ^w

¹⁵The inexperienced one believes anything, ^x

but the sensible one watches ^yhis steps.

¹⁶A wise man is cautious and turns from evil, ^z

but a fool is easily angered and is careless. ^a

¹⁷A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,

and a man who schemes is hated. ^b

¹⁸The inexperienced inherit foolishness,

but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil bow before those who are good,

the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰A poor man is hated even by his neighbor, ^c

but there are many who love the rich. ^d

²¹The one who despises his neighbor sins, ^e

but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy. ^f

²²Don’t those who plan evil go astray? ^g

But those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness. ^h

²³There is profit in all hard work,

but endless talk ⁱleads only to poverty. ^j

²⁴The crown of the wise is their wealth,

but the foolishness of fools produces foolishness.

²⁵A truthful witness rescues lives,

but one who utters lies is deceitful. ^k

²⁶In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence

and his children have a refuge. ^l

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

turning people away from the snares of death. ^m

²⁸A large population is a king’s splendor,

but a shortage of people is a ruler’s devastation.

²⁹A patient person shows great understanding, ⁿ

but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.

³⁰A tranquil heart is life to the body, ^o

but jealousy is rottenness to the bones. ^p

³¹The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, ^q

but one who is kind to the needy honors Him. ^r

³²The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, ^s

but the righteous one has a refuge in his death. ^t

³³Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning; ^u

she is known ^veven among fools.

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,

but sin is a disgrace to any people. ^w

³⁵A king favors a wise servant, ^x

but his anger falls on a disgraceful one.