Proverbs · Bible in Basic English
Proverbs 14 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.
1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour.
2 He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.
3 The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.
5 A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6 The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.
6 A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.
7 Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
8 The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.
9 Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.
10 No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
11 The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.
11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.
12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
13 Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.
13 Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
14 He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings.
14 The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15 The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.
15 A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16 The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.
16 A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
17 He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.
17 He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.
18 Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.
19 The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.
20 The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.
21 He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has pity on the poor is blessed.
22 Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.
22 Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.
23 In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
24 Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25 A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.
25 A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
26 For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.
26 In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.
27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
28 A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.
29 He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30 A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.
30 The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.
31 He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.
31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.
32 The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33 Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34 By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.
35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
Cross references (35)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 31:10–31; Proverbs 24:3–4; Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 21:19; Ruth 4:11
- 2 2 Timothy 3:2–3; Acts 10:35; Proverbs 28:6; Job 28:28; Romans 2:4–5
- 3 Proverbs 12:6; James 3:5–6; Revelation 12:11; Romans 10:9–10; Revelation 3:10
- 4 1 Corinthians 9:9–11; Proverbs 13:23; Amos 4:6
- 5 Proverbs 19:5; Proverbs 6:19; Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 14:25
- 6 James 1:5; Matthew 13:11–12; Matthew 11:25–27; 1 Corinthians 3:18–19; Proverbs 8:9
- 7 Proverbs 13:20; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Proverbs 9:6; Proverbs 19:27
- 8 Ephesians 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:13; James 3:13; Colossians 1:9–10; Psalm 119:73
- 9 Proverbs 10:23; Romans 14:17–18; Proverbs 26:18–19; Proverbs 13:15; Proverbs 30:20
- 10 Philippians 4:7; Proverbs 18:14; John 14:18; Proverbs 15:13; Revelation 2:17
- 11 Proverbs 3:33; Proverbs 12:7; Matthew 7:26–27; Proverbs 21:12; Job 21:28
- 12 Proverbs 16:25; Matthew 7:13–14; Proverbs 12:15; Galatians 6:3; Luke 13:24
- 13 Ecclesiastes 2:2; James 4:9; Luke 16:25; Ecclesiastes 7:5–6; Ecclesiastes 11:9
- 14 Galatians 6:8; Proverbs 12:14; Hebrews 3:12; Jeremiah 8:5; Jeremiah 2:19
- 15 Ephesians 5:17; Proverbs 14:8; 1 John 4:1; Proverbs 27:12; Proverbs 4:26
- 16 Proverbs 22:3; Proverbs 3:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Proverbs 29:9; Genesis 42:18
- 17 Proverbs 14:29; James 1:19; Proverbs 29:22; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Proverbs 15:18
- 18 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Peter 5:4; 2 Timothy 4:8; Proverbs 3:35; Proverbs 11:29–30
- 19 Genesis 42:6; Malachi 4:3; Exodus 8:8; Exodus 9:27–28; Micah 7:9–10
- 20 Proverbs 19:4; Proverbs 10:15; Proverbs 19:6–7; Job 30:10; Esther 5:10–11
- 21 Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 11:12; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 17:5; 1 John 3:17–22
- 22 Proverbs 12:2; Matthew 5:7; John 1:17; Psalm 25:10; Proverbs 19:22
- 23 Proverbs 28:19; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12; Proverbs 12:24; Hebrews 6:10–11; Ecclesiastes 5:3
- 24 Ecclesiastes 7:11–12; Luke 16:9; Luke 16:19–25; Psalm 112:9; Luke 12:19–20
- 25 Proverbs 14:5; Acts 26:16–20; 1 Timothy 4:1–3; 2 Peter 3:3; Acts 20:26–27
- 26 Proverbs 19:23; Jeremiah 32:39–40; Psalm 115:13–14; Proverbs 18:10; Proverbs 3:7–8
- 27 Proverbs 13:14; Revelation 21:6; Proverbs 2:10–18; Isaiah 33:6; Psalm 18:5
- 28 1 Kings 4:20–21; 2 Kings 13:7; Exodus 1:22; Exodus 1:12; 1 Kings 20:27
- 29 James 1:19; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Proverbs 14:17; Proverbs 19:11; Proverbs 15:18
- 30 Proverbs 17:22; Job 5:2; Proverbs 3:8; Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 12:4
- 31 Proverbs 22:2; Proverbs 17:5; Proverbs 22:16; Proverbs 19:17; 1 John 4:21
- 32 2 Timothy 4:18; Psalm 23:4; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Revelation 14:13; Job 19:25–27
- 33 Proverbs 12:16; Proverbs 15:28; Proverbs 12:23; Proverbs 29:11; Proverbs 13:16
- 34 Psalm 107:34; Deuteronomy 28:1–68; Deuteronomy 29:18–28; Deuteronomy 4:6–8; Ezekiel 16:1–63
- 35 Matthew 24:45–51; Proverbs 22:11; Proverbs 29:12; Matthew 25:23; Matthew 25:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The Scripture says, "In a wide nation is the king's honour; but in the domination of the people is the affliction of a prince." This wrong then thou dost unto Christ, to say that His people is diminished to that small number.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)