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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 14:8

Wisdom lets smart people know what they are doing, but stupid people only think they know.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Deceit;   Falsehood;   False Teachers;   Fool;   Hypocrisy;   Prudence;   Wisdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Folly;   Wisdom-Folly;   The Topic Concordance - Deception;   Folly;   Foolishness;   Prudence;   Wisdom;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deceit;   Fools;   Prudence;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way,but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
Hebrew Names Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
King James Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
English Standard Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.
New American Standard Bible
The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.
New Century Version
A wise person will understand what to do, but a foolish person is dishonest.
New English Translation
The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.
Amplified Bible
The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of [shortsighted] fools is deceit.
World English Bible
The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The wisdome of ye prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the foolishnes of the fooles is deceite.
Legacy Standard Bible
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,But the folly of fools is deceit.
Berean Standard Bible
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
Contemporary English Version
Wise people have enough sense to find their way, but stupid fools get lost.
Complete Jewish Bible
The wisdom of the cautious makes him know where he is going, but the folly of fools misleads them.
Darby Translation
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way; but the folly of the foolish is deceit.
George Lamsa Translation
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; but the way of fools is deceit.
Good News Translation
Why is a clever person wise? Because he knows what to do. Why is a stupid person foolish? Because he only thinks he knows.
Lexham English Bible
The wisdom of the clever is understanding his ways, but the folly of fools is deceit.
Literal Translation
The wisdom of the wise is to understand his way, but the foolishness of fools is deceit.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The wy?dome of him that hath vnderstondinge is, to take hede vnto his waye, but the foolishnesse of the vnwyse disceaueth.
American Standard Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
Bible in Basic English
The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The wisdom of the prudent is to look well to his way; but the folly of fools is deceit.
King James Version (1611)
The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the folly of fooles is deceit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The wisdome of the circumspect man, is to vnderstande his way: but the foolishnesse of the vnwise, deceaueth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The wisdom of the prudent will understand their ways; but the folly of fools leads astray.
English Revised Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The wisdom of a fel man is to vndirstonde his weie; and the vnwarnesse of foolis errith.
Update Bible Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
Webster's Bible Translation
The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way: but the folly of fools [is] deceit.
New King James Version
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit.
New Living Translation
The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
New Life Bible
The wisdom of the wise man is to understand what to do, but lying is the foolish way of fools.
New Revised Standard
It is the wisdom of the clever to understand where they go, but the folly of fools misleads.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The wisdom of the prudent, is to understand his way, but, the folly of dullards, is a fraud.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The wisdom of a discreet man is to understand his way: and the imprudence of fools erreth.
Revised Standard Version
The wisdom of a prudent man is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.
Young's Literal Translation
The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
THE MESSAGE
The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track; the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The wisdom of the sensible is to understand his way, But the foolishness of fools is deceit.

Contextual Overview

8 Wisdom lets smart people know what they are doing, but stupid people only think they know.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wisdom: Proverbs 2:9, Proverbs 8:20, Psalms 111:10, Psalms 119:5, Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:35, Psalms 119:73, Psalms 143:8, Ephesians 5:17, Colossians 1:9, Colossians 1:10, 2 Timothy 3:15-17, James 3:13

folly: Proverbs 11:18, Jeremiah 13:20, *marg. Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20, Ephesians 4:22, 2 Timothy 3:13

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:6 - this is your 1 Kings 3:9 - to judge 1 Chronicles 12:32 - to know 1 Chronicles 22:12 - that thou mayest 2 Chronicles 1:11 - that thou mayest Psalms 119:125 - that I Proverbs 2:7 - layeth Proverbs 10:8 - wise Proverbs 14:15 - the prudent Proverbs 20:24 - how Proverbs 26:24 - deceit Ecclesiastes 2:14 - wise Ecclesiastes 10:2 - wise Matthew 7:24 - a wise Acts 13:7 - a prudent 1 Corinthians 6:5 - Is it Ephesians 5:15 - not Colossians 3:16 - all

Cross-References

Genesis 13:10
Lot looked and saw the whole Jordan Valley. He saw that there was much water there. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time the Jordan Valley all the way to Zoar was like the Lord 's Garden. This was good land, like the land of Egypt.)
Genesis 14:2
All these kings fought a war against King Bera of Sodom: King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela. (Bela is also called Zoar.)
Genesis 14:3
All these kings joined their armies in the Valley of Siddim. (The Valley of Siddim is now the Salt Sea.)
Genesis 14:10
There were many holes filled with tar in the Valley of Siddim. When the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their armies ran away, some of the soldiers fell into these holes, but the others ran away to the mountains.
Genesis 19:20
Look, there is a very small town near here. Let me run to that town. I can run there and be safe."
Genesis 19:22
But run there quickly. I cannot destroy Sodom until you are safely in that town." (That town is named Zoar, because it is a small town.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way,.... The way of his calling, in which he should abide, and how to manage it in the best manner; the way of his duty, that he may walk inoffensively both towards God and men; and the way of life and salvation, which is by Jesus Christ, which to understand and to walk in is the highest wisdom and prudence;

but the folly of fools [is] deceit: or "the wisdom of fools", which the opposition requires, and is meant, and is what the Holy Ghost calls "folly", as elsewhere, 1 Corinthians 3:19; this is itself "deceit"; it is science, falsely so called; it lies in tricking and deceiving; and the issue of it is, not only the deceiving of others, but themselves also: such is the folly of the man of sin and followers, which lies in deceiving the inhabitants of the earth with their sorceries and superstitions, with their lying wonders and miracles; see 2 Thessalonians 2:10

Revelation 13:14.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Hebrew counterpart to the Greek “Know thyself.” “The highest wisdom is for a person to understand his own way. The most extreme folly is self-deceit.” The word “deceit” may, however, involve fraud practiced upon others. The folly of fools shows itself then in their ceaseless effort to deceive.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 14:8. Is to understand his way — Instead of הבין habin, to understand, הכין hachin, to DIRECT his way, is found in one MS. It makes a very good sense.


 
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