Proverbs 14:1-8
Proverbs 14:1-8 The Message (MSG)
Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home; Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick. An honest life shows respect for GOD; a degenerate life is a slap in his face. Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile; wise speech evokes nothing but respect. No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow. A true witness never lies; a false witness makes a business of it. Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it; the open-minded find it right on their doorstep! Escape quickly from the company of fools; they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words. The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
Proverbs 14:1-8 King James Version (KJV)
Every wise woman buildeth her house: But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: But much increase is by the strength of the ox. A faithful witness will not lie: But a false witness will utter lies. A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: But knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. Go from the presence of a foolish man, When thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: But the folly of fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:1-8 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands. He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise will protect them. Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge. The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:1-8 New Century Version (NCV)
A wise woman strengthens her family, but a foolish woman destroys hers by what she does. People who live good lives respect the LORD, but those who live evil lives don’t. Fools will be punished for their proud words, but the words of the wise will protect them. When there are no oxen, no food is in the barn. But with a strong ox, much grain can be grown. A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness tells nothing but lies. Those who make fun of wisdom look for it and do not find it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. Stay away from fools, because they can’t teach you anything. A wise person will understand what to do, but a foolish person is dishonest.
Proverbs 14:1-8 American Standard Version (ASV)
Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands. He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah; But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his pride; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox. A faithful witness will not lie; But a false witness uttereth lies. A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding. Go into the presence of a foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:1-8 New International Version (NIV)
The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Whoever fears the LORD walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways. A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them. Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.
Proverbs 14:1-8 New King James Version (NKJV)
The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him. In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them. Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. A faithful witness does not lie, But a false witness will utter lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands. Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:1-8 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The wise woman builds her house [on a foundation of godly precepts, and her household thrives], But the foolish one [who lacks spiritual insight] tears it down with her own hands [by ignoring godly principles]. He who walks in uprightness [reverently] fears the LORD [and obeys and worships Him with profound respect], But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. In the mouth of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God] is a rod for his back, But the lips of the wise [when they speak with godly wisdom] will protect them. Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, But much revenue [because of good crops] comes by the strength of the ox. A faithful and trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness speaks lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none [for his ears are closed to wisdom], But knowledge is easy for one who understands [because he is willing to learn]. Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool, For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips. The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of [shortsighted] fools is deceit.
Proverbs 14:1-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. Those who follow the right path fear the LORD; those who take the wrong path despise him. A fool’s proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keep them safe. Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest. An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips. The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
Proverbs 14:1-8 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Every wise woman encourages and builds up her family, but a foolish woman over time will tear it down by her own actions. Lovers of truth follow the right path because of their wonderment and worship of God. But the devious display their disdain for him. The words of a proud fool will all come back to haunt him. But the words of the wise will become a shield of protection around them. The only clean stable is an empty stable. So if you want the work of an ox and to enjoy an abundant harvest, you’ll have a mess or two to clean up! An honest witness will never lie, but a deceitful witness lies with every breath. The intellectually arrogant seek for wisdom, but they never seem to discover what they claim they’re looking for. For revelation-knowledge flows to the one who hungers for understanding. The words of the wise are like weapons of knowledge. If you need wise counsel, stay away from the fool. For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track, while the fool only deceives himself and refuses to face reality.
Proverbs 14:1-8 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him. By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will preserve them. Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox. A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.