Proverbs 14:9-27

New King James Version

^9 (A)Fools mock at ^[a]sin,
But among the upright there is favor.

¹⁰ The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

^11 (B)The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

^12 (C)There is a way that seems right to a man,
But ^(D)its end is the way of ^(E)death.

¹³ Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And ^(F)the end of mirth may be grief.

¹⁴ The backslider in heart will be ^(G)filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied ^[b]from ^(H)above.

¹⁵ The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
^16 (I)A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
¹⁷ A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
¹⁸ The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
¹⁹ The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

^20 (J)The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But ^[c]the rich has many ^(K)friends.
²¹ He who despises his neighbor sins;
^(L)But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

²² Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

²³ In all labor there is profit,
But ^[d]idle chatter leads only to poverty.

²⁴ The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.

²⁵ A true witness ^[e]delivers ^(M)souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

²⁶ In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
^27 (N)The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.