Proverbs 14

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
2 Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
but those who despise him are devious in their ways.
3 A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,
but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.
5 An honest witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.
6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7 Stay away from a fool,
for you will not find knowledge on their lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,
but the folly of fools is deception.
9 Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
and no one else can share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and rejoicing may end in grief.
14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,
and the good rewarded for theirs.
15 The simple believe anything,
but the prudent give thought to their steps.
16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,
but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.
17 A quick-tempered person does foolish things,
and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,
but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?
But those who plan what is good find[a] love and faithfulness.
23 All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
but the folly of fools yields folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.
26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
and for their children it will be a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
turning a person from the snares of death.
28 A large population is a king’s glory,
but without subjects a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,
but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.
33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
and even among fools she lets herself be known.(b)
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.
35 A king delights in a wise servant,
but a shameful servant arouses his fury.


a. Proverbs 14:22 Or show
b. Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known

If I were going to choose one of these verses to make a wall plaque today.... it would be verse 12.

This is from the easy English site.

Different people have many ideas and many theories. In this verse, Solomon describes our lives, and not just our journeys.​
On a journey, if a man chooses the wrong road, he might be in danger. Thieves might attack him. They could kill him.​

In the same way, if we choose to live evil lives, in the end God will punish us. We have our own ideas and theories, but these do not matter. The only way to God is to follow Jesus (John 14:6).
A long long long time ago.... a friend of mine was having problems with his sexual identity. He asked me to go to a church that was located on the Baltimore Block. The Baltimore Block was notorious in those days... it was always a dark place..... lots of evil stuff went on there. Now I knew that Jesus went to places like this because He loved everyone and the people there needed to meet Him too!

The church [at the time] was teaching that not everyone could find Salvation. The church located off the Block was different. This "church" was available for everyone. Only two other people showed up for "church" that morning. A gay priest [yep] and a gay man. The four of us.... there was no preaching or praying that morning.... the priest called the service on account of "no one wants it". I know the one gay man wanted to hear about Salvation. I know the one gay man was honestly searching. My friend was there to show me he was in a fragile mental state because of the question of his sexuality and he didn't want me to make him move.

At the time.... the church was teaching that all three of these men were condemned to death and there was no Salvation available for them. At the same time... another friend was locking himself in the basement so no one would be able to break in and stop him from killing himself after a sick priest raped him and then told him it was his fault and he would never find Salvation.

It's impossible to know if you're on the right road. All four of the men involved here... were involved in the "church" as well. My path crossed theirs. Was my path dangerous as well? I thought I was on a mission.

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