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Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14 ties wise conduct to the fear of YHWH, tracing its effects through households, neighbors, and nations.

A wise woman builds her household, while a foolish woman tears hers down. From that opening contrast, the wisdom teacher addresses readers through short sayings about speech, work, judgment, and life with neighbors. The scope widens from the home to the nation and its ruler. Throughout, wisdom and folly take visible shape in conduct: how people handle anger, treat the poor, weigh their choices, and regard YHWH.

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1Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
3The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
9Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among the upright there is good will.
10The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
11The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
13Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
14The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
17He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man is hated.
18The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow down before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.
21He who despises his neighbor sins, but he who has pity on the poor is blessed.
22Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.
24The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
26In the fear of the LORD is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
28In the multitude of people is the king’s glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
29He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.
31He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Proverbs 14:29Patience reveals understanding, bringing the chapter’s contrast between wisdom and folly into the moment when anger rises.
Proverbs 14:31Treatment of the poor carries weight before God because the person being helped or oppressed has him as Maker.
Proverbs 14:26The fortress image presents the fear of YHWH as a source of security that reaches into family life.
Where this chapter reaches

Psalm shares the picture of God as a refuge, while James shares the concern for restrained anger and honoring the poor. Ecclesiastes also examines sorrow beneath laughter, and Luke shares the warning that social standing and wealth can distort how people treat their neighbors.

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After reading the whole chapter

How do the sayings about hidden sorrow affect the way you read someone else’s laughter?

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What connection do you see between fearing YHWH and treating a poor neighbor with honor?

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Questions people ask about Proverbs 14

What does Proverbs 14:4 mean about oxen and a clean crib?

The crib is the feeding trough. Without oxen, it stays clean, but the farmer also loses the strength that makes a larger harvest possible. The saying weighs the work and mess of keeping oxen against their benefit. Productive labor brings costs that an empty, tidy farm avoids.

What does the fear of YHWH mean in Proverbs 14?

The chapter connects fear of YHWH with upright conduct, turning from evil, and finding refuge in God. It means reverence for God that shapes how a person lives. Verses 26–27 describe this fear through images of a secure fortress and a fountain of life, linking reverence with protection from destructive ways.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).