Proverbs

14 The truly wise woman builds up her house,+

But the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

 2 The one walking in his uprightness fears Jehovah,

But the one whose ways are devious* despises Him.

 3 The rod of haughtiness is in the mouth of the fool,

But the lips of the wise will protect them.

 4 Where there are no cattle the manger is clean,

But the power of a bull yields an abundant harvest.

 5 A faithful witness will not lie,

But a false witness lies with every breath.+

 6 The scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge comes easily to the person with understanding.+

 7 Stay away from the foolish man,

For you will not find knowledge on his lips.+

 8 By wisdom the shrewd man understands the way he is going,

But the stupid are deceived* by their foolishness.+

 9 Fools make fun of guilt,*+

But among the upright, there is a willingness to reconcile.*

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,*

And no outsider can share in its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,+

But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,+

But in the end it leads to death.+

13 Even in laughter the heart may feel pain,

And rejoicing may end in grief.

14 The one wayward at heart will reap the results of his ways,+

But the good man reaps the reward of his dealings.+

15 The naive* person believes every word,

But the shrewd one ponders each step.+

16 The wise one is cautious and turns away from evil,

But the stupid one is reckless* and overconfident.

17 The one who is quick to anger acts foolishly,+

But the man who thinks things out* is hated.

18 The naive* will inherit foolishness,

But the shrewd are crowned with knowledge.+

19 Bad people will have to bow down before the good,

And the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous.

20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbors,+

But many are the friends of the rich person.+

21 The one who despises his neighbor sins,

But whoever shows compassion to the lowly is happy.+

23 There is benefit in every kind of hard work,

But mere talk leads to want.+

24 The crown of the wise is their wealth;

But the foolishness of the stupid is only foolishness.+

25 A true witness saves lives,*

But a deceitful one lies with every breath.

26 There is strong confidence in the fear of Jehovah,+

And it will be a refuge for his children.+

27 The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life,

To turn one away from the snares of death.

28 A multitude of people are a king’s majesty,+

But a ruler without subjects is ruined.

29 The one who is slow to anger has great discernment,+

But the impatient one displays his foolishness.+

30 A calm heart gives life* to the body,

But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.+

31 The one who defrauds the lowly one insults his Maker,+

But whoever shows compassion to the poor glorifies Him.+

32 The wicked one will be brought down by his own evil,

But the righteous one will find refuge in his integrity.+

33 Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of an understanding person,+

But among the stupid it must make itself known.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,+

But sin is disgraceful to a people.

35 The king finds pleasure in a servant who acts with insight,+

But his fury is against the one who acts shamefully.+