Proverbs 14

1The wise woman builds her home. But the silly woman destroys her home with her own hands.

2An honest man is afraid of the LORD. But some men are not honest. A man like that thinks that the LORD is not important.

3 Fools think that they are great. So, they talk too much. But the words of wise men keep them from what is bad.

4When a farmer has no oxen, his building will be clean. But if he has oxen, his building will be full of seeds from his farm.

5An honest person always speaks true words about what he has seen. But a bad person always speaks false words about what he has seen.

6Some people laugh about wise words. They would like to become wise but they cannot. But wise people learn easily.

7Stay away from silly people. They have nothing to teach you.

8A clever person knows what to do. So he is wise. But a silly person is a fool. He only thinks that he knows what to do.

9Silly people are not sorry when they sin. They laugh about it. But everyone likes good people.

10When you are happy, you yourself are happy. When you are sad, you yourself are sad. Nobody else is happy or sad with you.

11The house of a good person will not fall, but anything can destroy the house of a bad person.

12There is a way that seems right to a man. But in the end, it leads him to death.

13A man may be sad even when he is laughing. He may smile but he may still not be happy in the end.

14A man who was good may now be bad. A man like that receives a lot of bad things. But a good man receives a lot of good things.

15A fool will believe anything. But a careful man will think before he does anything.

16A wise man is careful to stay out of trouble. But a silly man is careless and he does things too quickly.

17An angry man does silly things. And people hate a man whose plans cause trouble.

18People who do not know anything get into trouble. But careful people become wise.

19Bad people must bend their knees to good people. And they must ask the good people to be kind to them.

20Nobody likes poor people, not even those near to them. But rich people have many friends.

21A man may think that he is better than those near to him. A man like that is a sinner. But God does good things on behalf of a man who is kind to poor people.

22People who try to do bad things make a mistake. But those who do good things for other people will find love and honest friends.

23All work causes you to have money. But people who talk too much become poor.

24To a wise man, money is like what a king wears on his head. But a fool does not have anything like that.

25Someone may speak true words about what he has seen. If he does, he will keep lives safe. But when a man speaks false words, he causes people to believe false things.

26When a man is afraid of the LORD, he and his family will be safe.

27To be afraid of the LORD is like the water that gives life. It keeps a man safe, even from death.

28When a king rules many people, he is great. But without the people, he is nothing.

29A patient man can understand many things, but an angry man does not know anything.

30A mind that does not have trouble causes the body to be well. But when someone thinks bad thoughts about other people, he becomes sick.

31A man may be cruel to poor people. But really he thinks bad things about God who created them. But whoever is kind to poor people worships God.

32When bad men do wrong things, they destroy themselves. But good men have hope even in death.

33 Wise people think wise thoughts. But fools show everyone that they know nothing about wise thoughts.

34A country becomes great when it does right things. But sin makes its people ashamed.

35A wise servant gives the king pleasure. But the king is angry with the servant who causes shame.