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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Proverbs 14:8

Wise people have enough sense to find their way, but stupid fools get lost.

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.
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.
Easy-to-Read Version
Wisdom lets smart people know what they are doing, but stupid people only think they know.
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 Wise people have enough sense to find their way, but stupid fools get lost.

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
This happened before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And when Lot looked around, he saw there was plenty of water in the Jordan Valley. All the way to Zoar the valley was as green as the garden of the Lord or the land of Egypt.
Genesis 14:2
attacked King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, also known as the city of Zoar.
Genesis 14:3
King Chedorlaomer and his allies had ruled these last five kings for twelve years, but in the thirteenth year the kings rebelled and came together in Siddim Valley, which is now covered by the southern part of the Dead Sea.
Genesis 14:10
was full of tar pits, and when the troops from Sodom and Gomorrah started running away, some of them fell into the pits. Others escaped to the hill country.
Genesis 19:20
There's a town near here. It's only a small place, but my family and I will be safe, if you let us go there."
Genesis 19:22
Hurry! Run! I can't do anything until you are safely there." The town was later called Zoar because Lot had said it was small.

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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