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Proverbs 14
New King James Version

### The Ways of Life and Death

14 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
(A)But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
(B)But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

4 Where no oxen are, the [a]trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

5 A (C)faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter (D)lies.

6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But (E)knowledge is easy to him who understands.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of (F)knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.

9 (G)Fools mock at [b]sin,
But among the upright there is favor.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

11 (H)The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 (I)There is a way that seems right to a man,
But (J)its end is the way of (K)death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And (L)the end of mirth may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will be (M)filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied [c]from (N)above.

15 The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 (O)A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 (P)The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But [d]the rich has many (Q)friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
(R)But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,
But [e]idle chatter leads only to poverty.

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.

25 A true witness [f]delivers (S)souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 (T)The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

29 (U)He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is [g]impulsive exalts folly.

30 A sound heart is life to the body,
But (V)envy is (W)rottenness to the bones.

31 (X)He who oppresses the poor reproaches (Y)his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But (Z)the righteous has a refuge in his death.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But (AA)what is in the heart of fools is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a (AB)nation,
But sin is a [h]reproach to any people.

35 (AC)The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

#### Footnotes

1. Proverbs 14:4 manger or feed trough
2. Proverbs 14:9 Lit. guilt
3. Proverbs 14:14 Lit. from above himself
4. Proverbs 14:20 Lit. many are the lovers of the rich
5. Proverbs 14:23 Lit. talk of the lips
6. Proverbs 14:25 saves lives
7. Proverbs 14:29 Lit. short of spirit
8. Proverbs 14:34 shame or disgrace

#### Cross references

1. Proverbs 14:2 : [Rom. 2:4]
2. Proverbs 14:3 : Prov. 12:6
3. Proverbs 14:5 : Rev. 1:5; 3:14
4. Proverbs 14:5 : Ex. 23:1; Deut. 19:16; Prov. 6:19; 12:17
5. Proverbs 14:6 : Prov. 8:9; 17:24
6. Proverbs 14:7 : Prov. 23:9
7. Proverbs 14:9 : Prov. 10:23
8. Proverbs 14:11 : Job 8:15
9. Proverbs 14:12 : Prov. 16:25
10. Proverbs 14:12 : Rom. 6:21
11. Proverbs 14:12 : Prov. 12:15
12. Proverbs 14:13 : Prov. 5:4; Eccl. 2:1, 2
13. Proverbs 14:14 : Prov. 1:31; 12:15
14. Proverbs 14:14 : Prov. 13:2; 18:20
15. Proverbs 14:16 : Job 28:28; Ps. 34:14; Prov. 22:3
16. Proverbs 14:20 : Prov. 19:7
17. Proverbs 14:20 : Prov. 19:4
18. Proverbs 14:21 : Ps. 112:9; [Prov. 19:17]
19. Proverbs 14:25 : [Ezek. 3:18–21]
20. Proverbs 14:27 : Prov. 13:14
21. Proverbs 14:29 : Prov. 16:32; 19:11; Eccl. 7:9; James 1:19
22. Proverbs 14:30 : Ps. 112:10
23. Proverbs 14:30 : Prov. 12:4; Hab. 3:16
24. Proverbs 14:31 : Prov. 17:5; Matt. 25:40; 1 John 3:17
25. Proverbs 14:31 : [Job 31:15; Prov. 22:2]
26. Proverbs 14:32 : Gen. 49:18; Job 13:15; [Ps. 16:11; 73:24]; 2 Cor. 1:9; 5:8; [2 Tim. 4:18]
27. Proverbs 14:33 : Prov. 12:16
28. Proverbs 14:34 : Prov. 11:11
29. Proverbs 14:35 : Matt. 24:45–47

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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