The wise woman builds her house,
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,
    but the lips of the wise protect them.

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

Proverbs 14:1-7

These first seven verses in chapter 14 comprise the first section in the chapter. Each one on its own is interesting, but when you go through them together, you can make a list of seven habits that lead to happiness and success in life, and seven that lead to ruin. So, rather than me going on and on, take a few moments and read these carefully. As you do, you might want to make a couple of lists; if you’ve ever wanted a self-improvement project, taking those two lists to heart is a very good one.