1 Every wise woman has built her house, || And the foolish breaks it down with her hands. 2 Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, || And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways. 3 A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, || And the lips of the wise preserve them. 4 Without oxen a stall [is] clean, || And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox. 5 A faithful witness does not lie, || And a false witness breathes out lies. 6 A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, || And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent. 7 Go from before a foolish man, || Or you have not known the lips of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, || And the folly of fools [is] deceit. 9 Fools mock at a guilt-offering, || And among the upright—a pleasing thing. 10 The heart knows its own bitterness, || And a stranger does not interfere with its joy. 11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, || And the tent of the upright flourishes. 12 There is a way—right before a man, || And its latter end [are] ways of death. 13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, || And the latter end of joy [is] affliction. 14 The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, || And a good man—from his fruits. 15 The simple gives credence to everything, || And the prudent attends to his step. 16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, || And a fool is transgressing and is confident. 17 Whoever is short of temper does folly, || And a man of wicked schemes is hated. 18 The simple have inherited folly, || And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge. 19 The evil have bowed down before the good, || And the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poor is hated even of his neighbor, || And those loving the rich [are] many. 21 Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, || Whoever is favoring the humble, || O his blessedness. 22 Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good, 23 In all labor there is advantage, || And a thing of the lips [is] only to want. 24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, || The folly of fools [is] folly. 25 A true witness is delivering souls, || And a deceitful one breathes out lies. 26 Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, || And there is a refuge to His sons. 27 The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, || To turn aside from snares of death. 28 The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, || And the ruin of a prince in lack of people. 29 Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, || And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly. 30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, || And rottenness to the bones [is] envy. 31 An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, || And whoever is honoring Him || Is favoring the needy. 32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, || And the righteous [is] trustful in his death. 33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, || And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering. 35 The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, || And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!
Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 14 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)