Proverbs 14

14The wise woman builds her house,^a

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,^b

but the lips of the wise protect them.^c

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

but from the strength of an ox^d come abundant harvests.

⁵An honest witness does not deceive,

but a false witness pours out lies.^e

⁶The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.^f

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,^g

but the folly of fools is deception.^h

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,ⁱ

but the tent of the upright will flourish.^j

¹²There is a way that appears to be right,^k

but in the end it leads to death.^l

¹³Even in laughter^m the heart may ache,

and rejoicing may end in grief.

¹⁴The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,ⁿ

and the good rewarded for theirs.^o

¹⁵The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.^p

¹⁶The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,^q

but a fool^r is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

¹⁷A quick-tempered person^s does foolish things,^t

and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.^u

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.^v

²⁰The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,

but the rich have many friends.^w

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

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

²²Do not those who plot evil go astray?^z

But those who plan what is good find^a 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.^a

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,

but a false witness is deceitful.^b

²⁶Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,^c

and for their children it will be a refuge.^d

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

turning a person from the snares of death.^f

²⁸A large population is a king’s glory,

but without subjects a prince is ruined.^g

²⁹Whoever is patient has great understanding,^h

but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.ⁱ

³⁰A heart at peace gives life to the body,

but envy rots the bones.^j

³¹Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,^k

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.^l

³²When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,^m

but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.ⁿ

³³Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning^o

and even among fools she lets herself be known.^b

³⁴Righteousness exalts a nation,^p

but sin condemns any people.

³⁵A king delights in a wise servant,

but a shameful servant arouses his fury.^q