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Proverbs 14

Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

1The wise woman builds her house,

But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2One who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,

But one who is devious in his ways despises Him.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,

But the lips of the wise will protect them.

4Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean;

But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie,

But a false witness declares lies.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy for one who has understanding.

7Leave the presence of a fool,

Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,

But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at sin,

But among the upright there is goodwill.

10The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy.

11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12There is a way which seems right to a person,

But its end is the way of death.

13Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,

And the end of joy may be grief.

14One with a wayward heart will have his fill of his own ways,

But a good person will be satisfied with his.

15The naive believes everything,

But the sensible person considers his steps.

16A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil,

But a fool is arrogant and careless.

17A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,

And a person of evil devices is hated.

18The naive inherit foolishness,

But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil will bow down before the good,

And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor is hated even by his neighbor,

But those who love the rich are many.

21One who despises his neighbor sins,

But one who is gracious to the poor is blessed.

22Will they who devise evil not go astray?

But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

23In all labor there is profit,

But mere talk leads only to poverty.

24The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the foolishness of fools is simply foolishness.

25A truthful witness saves lives,

But one who declares lies is deceitful.

26In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

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

By which one may avoid the snares of death.

28In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,

But in the scarcity of people is a prince’s ruin.

29One who is slow to anger has great understanding;

But one who is quick-tempered exalts foolishness.

30A tranquil heart is life to the body,

But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.

31One who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,

But one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32The wicked is thrust down by his own wrongdoing,

But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,

But among fools it is made known.

34Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,

But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

Proverbs

Chapter 14

14 of 31