Proverbios 14

¹ Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her 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. ³ In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe. ⁴ Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox. ⁵ A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit. ⁶ The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man. ⁷ Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge. ⁸ The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit. ⁹ In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace. ¹⁰ No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy. ¹¹ The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well. ¹² There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death. ¹³ Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow. 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. ¹⁵ The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps. ¹⁶ The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger. ¹⁷ He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet. ¹⁸ Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense 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. ²⁰ The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends. ²¹ He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy. ²² Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good. ²³ In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor. ²⁴ Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise. ²⁵ A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit. ²⁶ For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place. ²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets 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. 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. ³⁰ A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in 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. ³² The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness. ³³ Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish. ³⁴ By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples. ³⁵ The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.