Read & explore together
The Wise Woman
Proverbs 14 gathers short sayings that compare wisdom and folly. The chapter moves from home life to speech, choices, work, neighbours and public life, showing that wise living is practical, truthful and shaped by the fear of Yahweh.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
This passage is a sequence of proverbs, not one continuous story. It repeatedly sets opposites side by side: wise and foolish, upright and wicked, truthful and false, careful and reckless. It also links the fear of Yahweh with refuge and life, and it comments on both personal conduct and community life.
Proverbs 14:1–35Main takeaway
Proverbs 14 teaches that wisdom shows itself in careful choices, truthful speech, reverence for Yahweh and kindness instead of contempt.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Wisdom begins close to homeThe chapter opens with a wise woman building her house and a foolish one tearing it down. Walking uprightly is tied to fearing Yahweh, while twisted ways show contempt for him.
Explanation
The chapter opens with a wise woman building her house and a foolish one tearing it down. Walking uprightly is tied to fearing Yahweh, while twisted ways show contempt for him. Speech also matters straight away: foolish talk brings harm, but wise lips protect.
02Appearances can misleadA clean feeding place may only mean there are no oxen, while strength brings increase. The prudent think about their way, but fools deal in deceit.
Explanation
A clean feeding place may only mean there are no oxen, while strength brings increase. The prudent think about their way, but fools deal in deceit. The heart carries bitterness and joy that others may not share, and a way that seems right can still end in death.
03Wisdom is careful, not recklessPeople are repaid for their ways. The simple believe everything, but the prudent consider carefully.
Explanation
People are repaid for their ways. The simple believe everything, but the prudent consider carefully. A wise person fears and turns from evil, while a fool is hot-headed. Hard work brings profit, but mere talk does not. Truthful witness helps, while false witness deceives.
04Fear of Yahweh and care for othersThe chapter observes that the poor may be shunned while the rich attract friends, yet it calls despising a neighbour sin and pity for the poor a blessing.
Explanation
The chapter observes that the poor may be shunned while the rich attract friends, yet it calls despising a neighbour sin and pity for the poor a blessing. The fear of Yahweh is a secure refuge and fountain of life. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin brings disgrace.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does the chapter connect wisdom with speech?
Look at the sayings about lips, talk and witness to compare protection, harm and deceit.
02Which verses warn that things are not always as they seem?
Notice the clean crib, the hidden heart, and the way that seems right but ends in death.
03What judgment does Proverbs 14 give about treating poor people?
Compare the observation about social treatment with the direct statements about pity, kindness and oppression.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Proverbs 14:1–35
1Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, 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 Yahweh is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
27The fear of Yahweh 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.