Proverbs 14 — BBE

14Verse 1Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 3}In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.^{Verse 4}Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.^{Verse 5}A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.^{Verse 6}The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.^{Verse 7}Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.^{Verse 8}The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.^{Verse 9}In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.^{Verse 10}No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.^{Verse 11}The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.^{Verse 12}There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.^{Verse 13}Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 15}The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.^{Verse 16}The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.^{Verse 17}He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.^{Verse 18}Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.^{Verse 19}The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.^{Verse 20}The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.^{Verse 21}He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.^{Verse 22}Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.^{Verse 23}In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.^{Verse 24}Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.^{Verse 25}A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.^{Verse 26}For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.^{Verse 27}The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.^{Verse 28}A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 30}A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.^{Verse 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.^{Verse 32}The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.^{Verse 33}Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.^{Verse 34}By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.^{Verse 35}The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.