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Proverbs 14 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

The Ways of Life and Death
Pro 14:1The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
Pro 14:2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.
Pro 14:3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Pro 14:4Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
Pro 14:5A faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter lies.
Pro 14:6A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But knowledge is easy to him who understands.
Pro 14:7Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
Pro 14:8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.
Pro 14:9Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is favor.
Pro 14:10The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
Pro 14:11The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
Pro 14:12There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
Pro 14:13Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And the end of mirth may be grief.
Pro 14:14The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied from above.[fn]
Pro 14:15The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
Pro 14:16A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
Pro 14:17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
Pro 14:18The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Pro 14:19The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Pro 14:20The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
Pro 14:21He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Pro 14:22Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
Pro 14:23In all labor there is profit,
But idle chatter[fn] leads only to poverty.
Pro 14:24The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.
Pro 14:25A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
Pro 14:26In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
Pro 14:27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
Pro 14:28In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
Pro 14:29He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive[fn] exalts folly.
Pro 14:30A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones.
Pro 14:31He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
Pro 14:32The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
Pro 14:33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
Pro 14:34Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people.
Pro 14:35The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
NKJV Footnotes
Literally from above himself
Literally talk of the lips
Literally short of spirit
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Proverbs Chapter 14 — Additional Translations: