Judaism
Proverbs 14
Text
Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD; But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. .
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox.
A faithful witness will not lie; But a false witness breatheth forth lies.
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; But knowledge is easy unto him that hath discernment.
Go from the presence of a foolish man, for thou wilt not perceive the lips of knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to look well to his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
Amends pleadeth for fools; But among the upright there is good will.
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; And with its joy no stranger can intermeddle.
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; But the tent of the upright shall flourish.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
Even in laughter the heart acheth; And the end of mirth is heaviness.
The dissembler in heart shall have his fill from his own ways; And a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
The thoughtless believeth every word; But the prudent man looketh well to his going.
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; But the fool behaveth overbearingly, and is confident.
He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly; And a man of wicked devices is hated.
The thoughtless come into possession of folly; But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
The evil bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour; But the rich hath many friends. .
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth; But he that is gracious unto the humble, happy is he.
Shall they not go astray that devise evil? But mercy and truth shall be for them that devise good.
In all labour there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
The crown of the wise is their riches; But the folly of fools remaineth folly.
A true witness delivereth souls; But he that breatheth forth lies is all deceit.
In the fear of the LORD a man hath strong confidence; And his children shall have a place of refuge.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
In the multitude of people is the king’s glory; But in the want of people is the ruin of the prince.
He that is slow to anger is of great understanding; But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; But envy is the rottenness of the bones.
He that oppresseth the poor blasphemeth his Maker; But he that is gracious unto the needy honoureth Him.
The wicked is thrust down in his misfortune; But the righteous, even when he is brought to death, hath hope.
In the heart of him that hath discernment wisdom resteth; But in the inward part of fools it maketh itself known.
Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people.
The king’s favour is toward a servant that dealeth wisely; But his wrath striketh him that dealeth shamefully.
Text: The Holy Scriptures, Jewish Publication Society (1917), public domain, via Sefaria.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Snp 1.8 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Even as a mother would protect with her life her child, her only child, so too for all creatures unfold a boundless heart.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“ik oankaar sat naam: one Creator, whose Name is Truth, beyond fear and enmity.”
Impermanence & Letting Go
Dhammapada 20:277 (trans. F. Max Müller)
“‘All created things perish,’ he who knows and sees this becomes passive in pain; this is the way to purity.”
Tao Te Ching 76 (trans. James Legge)
“Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“Nay, but as when one layeth His worn-out robes away, And taking new ones, sayeth, "These will I wear to-day!" So putteth by the spirit Lightly its garb of flesh, And passeth to inherit A residence afresh.”
The Path to Wisdom
Dhammapada 20:282 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“From meditation springs wisdom, without meditation, wisdom ends.”
Analects 2:11 (trans. James Legge)
“If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.”
Tao Te Ching 33 (trans. James Legge)
“He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent.”
Quran 39:9
“Are those who know equal with those who know not?”
Humility & Surrender
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“And let go those, Rites and writ duties! Fly to Me alone! Make Me thy single refuge! I will free Thy soul from all its sins! Be of good cheer!”
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Tao Te Ching 22 (trans. James Legge)
“The partial becomes complete; the crooked, straight; the empty, full; the worn out, new. He whose (desires) are few gets them; he whose (desires) are many goes astray.”
Quran 2:45
“Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Dhammapada 2 (trans. Bhikkhu Sujato)
“Intention is the leader of things; intention is first, they’re made by intention. If with pure intent you speak or act, happiness follows you like a shadow that never leaves.”
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 16 (trans. Edwin Arnold)
“The Doors of Hell Are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass, The door of Lust, the door of Wrath, the door Of Avarice. Let a man shun those three!”