Proverbs 14:14-28

¹⁴He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings.

¹⁵The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.

¹⁶The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.

¹⁷He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.

¹⁸Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.

²⁰The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.

²¹He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.

²²Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.

²³In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.

²⁴Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.

²⁵A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.

²⁶For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.

²⁷The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.

²⁸A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.