Proverbs 14
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Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22 Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
23 In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
26 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
33 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Proverbs 14:1-35
1The wisest of women builds her house,
but folly with her own hands tears it down.
2Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
but he who is devious in his ways despises him.
3By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
5A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes out lies.
6A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
7Leave the presence of a fool,
for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
10The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.
11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
13Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
14The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.
17A man of quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
18The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
but the rich has many friends.
21Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22Do they not go astray who devise evil?
Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.
23In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty.
24The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the folly of fools brings folly.
25A truthful witness saves lives,
but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.
26In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
that one may turn away from the snares of death.
28In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
but without people a prince is ruined.
29Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh,
but envy makes the bones rot.
31Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
but the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.
34Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people.
35A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor,
but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Prov. 14:1-35
1The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
2Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
but those who despise him are devious in their ways.
3A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,
but the lips of the wise protect them.
4Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
5An honest witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.
6The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7Stay away from a fool,
for you will not find knowledge on their lips.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,
but the folly of fools is deception.
9Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.
10Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.
11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
13Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.
14The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
and the good rewarded for theirs.
15The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.
16The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,
but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.
17A quick-tempered person does foolish things,
and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.
18The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
21It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
22Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.
23All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.
25A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.
26Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
and for their children it will be a refuge.
27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
turning a person from the snares of death.
28A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.
29Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
30A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
31Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
32When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.
33Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
and even among fools she lets herself be known.
34Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.
35A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant arouses his fury.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
"Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.” Proverbs 14:22, KJV. Did you catch that last part? “To them that devise good?” You probably weren’t surprised by the first part of the verse, about those who devise evil. Can’t you just picture them, sitting around the fire together, plotting to catch those whose righteous way of living stings them like salt in a wound? You also probably expected the next part, about the good things that come to good people. Proverbs often presents this kind of contrast between two opposing choices and their differing outcomes. But have you ever thought of "devising" as a verb connected with good? Don’t we usually think of it in connection with evil? How would you define devise? Or what would you list as synonyms? Plan, prepare, plot, think up… It’s a word full of thoughtful, careful planning of something that you hope very much to put into action, and you anticipate a feeling of satisfaction if it were accomplished.
“Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.” Now, get busy devising something good!
Alison Menzmer
Student, Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, Tennessee USA (as of this writing)