Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

1The wise woman builds her house,
         But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD,
         But he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
         But the lips of the wise will protect them.

4Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
         But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie,
         But a false witness utters lies.

6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,
         But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding.

7Leave the presence of a fool,
         Or you will not discern words of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way,
         But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

9Fools mock at sin,
         But among the upright there is good will.

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

11The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
         But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12There is a way which seems right to a man,
         But its end is the way of death.

13Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
         And the end of joy may be grief.

14The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways,
         But a good man will be satisfied with his.

15The naive believes everything,
         But the sensible man considers his steps.

16A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil,
         But a fool is arrogant and careless.

17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
         And a man of evil devices is hated.

18The naive inherit foolishness,
         But the sensible are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil will bow down before the good,
         And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor is hated even by his neighbor,
         But those who love the rich are many.

21He who despises his neighbor sins,
         But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.

22Will they not go astray who devise evil?
         But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

23In all labor there is profit,
         But mere talk leads only to poverty.

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

25A truthful witness saves lives,
         But he who utters lies is treacherous.

26In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
         And his children will have refuge.

27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
         That one may avoid the snares of death.

28In a multitude of people is a king’s glory,
         But in the dearth of people is a prince’s ruin.

29He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
         But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

30A tranquil heart is life to the body,
         But passion is rottenness to the bones.

31He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
         But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

32The wicked is thrust down by his wrongdoing,
         But the righteous has a refuge when he dies.

33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
         But in the hearts of fools it is made known.

34Righteousness exalts a nation,
         But sin is a disgrace to any people.

35The king’s favor is toward a servant who acts wisely,
         But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.

NASB ©1995

American Standard Version
Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish will pull down with her hands that also which is built.

Darby Bible Translation
The wisdom of women buildeth their house; but folly plucketh it down with her hands.

English Revised Version
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.

Webster's Bible Translation
Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

World English Bible
Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Young's Literal Translation
Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.A Startling Statement
TEXT: "The wicked shall not be unpunished."--Prov. 11:21. There are very many passages of Scripture which ought to be read in connection with this text; as for example, "Fools make a mock at sin" (Proverbs 14:9), for only a fool would. Better trifle with the pestilence and expose one's self to the plague than to discount the blighting effects of sin. And, again, "The soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4). From this clear statement of the word of God there is no escape. Or, again, "Our …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

Hollow Laughter, Solid Joy
'Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.'--PROVERBS xiv. 13. 'These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be fulfilled.'--JOHN xv. 11 (R.V.). A poet, who used to be more fashionable than he is now, pronounces 'happiness' to be our being's end and aim. That is not true, except under great limitations and with many explanations. It may be regarded as God's end, but it is ruinous to make it man's aim. It is by no means …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Satisfied from Self
'... A good man shall be satisfied from himself.'--PROVERBS xiv. 14. At first sight this saying strikes one as somewhat unlike the ordinary Scripture tone, and savouring rather of a Stoical self-complacency; but we recall parallel sayings, such as Christ's words, 'The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water'; and the Apostle's, 'Then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone.' We further note that the text has an antithetic parallel in the preceding clause, where the picture is …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Sin the Mocker
'Fools make a mock at sin; but among the righteous there is favour.'--Proverbs xiv, 9. The wisdom of this Book of Proverbs is not simply intellectual, but it has its roots in reverence and obedience to God, and for its accompaniment, righteousness. The wise man is the good man, and the good man is the godly man. And as is wisdom, so its opposite, folly, is not only intellectual feebleness--the bad man is a fool, and the godless is a bad man. The greatest amount of brain-power cultivated to the highest …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

How a Man's Conduct Comes Home to Him
A sermon (No. 1235) delivered on Lord's Day Morning, May 16th, 1875, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself."--Proverbs 14:14. A common principle is here laid down and declared to be equally true in reference to two characters, who in other respects are a contrast. Men are affected by the course which they pursue; for good or bad, their own conduct comes home to them. …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

Godly Fear and Its Goodly Consequence
A sermon (No. 1290) delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge."--Proverbs 14:26. In the Book of Proverbs you meet with sentences of pithy wisdom, which to all appearance belong entirely to this world, and pertain to the economy of the life that now is. I do not know whether it is true, but it was said that years ago our friends in Scotland had a little book widely circulated …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

"Boast not Thyself of to Morrow, for Thou Knowest not what a Day May Bring Forth. "
Prov. xxvii. 1.--"Boast not thyself of to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." As man is naturally given to boasting and gloriation in something (for the heart cannot want some object to rest upon and take complacency in, it is framed with such a capacity of employing other things), so there is a strong inclination in man towards the time to come, he hath an immortal appetite, and an appetite of immortality; and therefore his desires usually stretch farther than the present …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Work
(Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity.) Proverbs xiv. 23. In all labour there is profit. I fear there are more lessons in the Book of Proverbs than most of us care to learn. There is a lesson in every verse of it, and a shrewd one. Certain I am, that for a practical, business man, who has to do his duty and to make his way in this world, there is no guide so safe as these same Proverbs of Solomon. In this world, I say; for they say little about the world to come. Their doctrine is, that what …
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons

The Backslider in Heart.
Text.--The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.--Prov. xiv. 14. I CANNOT conclude this course of lectures, without warning converts against backsliding. In discussing this subject, I will state, I. What backsliding in heart is not. II. What backsliding in heart is. III. What are evidences of backsliding in heart. IV. Show what are consequences of backsliding in heart. V. How to recover from this state. I. What backsliding in heart is not. 1. It does not consist in the subsidence …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion

Have Read the Letter which You in Your Wisdom have Written Me. You Inveigh against Me
I have read the letter which you in your wisdom have written me. You inveigh against me, and, though you once praised me and called me true partner and brother, you now write books to summon me to reply to the charges with which you terrify me. I see that in you are fulfilled the words of Solomon: "In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of contumely," and "A fool receives not the words of prudence, unless you say what is passing in his heart;" and the words of Isaiah: "The fool will speak folly, …
Various—Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.

Epistle Lxix. To Brunichild, Queen of the Franks.
To Brunichild, Queen of the Franks. Gregory to Brunichild, &c. Since it is written, Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin maketh peoples miserable (Prov. xiv. 34), a kingdom is then believed to be stable when a fault that is known of is quickly amended. Now it has come to our ears by the report of many, what we cannot mention without exceeding affliction of heart, that certain priests in those parts live so immodestly and wickedly that it is a shame for us to hear of it and lamentable to tell …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

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