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The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Proverbs 14:11 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
  • KJV The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
  • NKJV The house of the wicked will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
  • NASB The house of the wicked will be destroyed, But the tent of the upright will flourish.
  • NLT The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly will flourish.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The wicked's house will be overthrown, but the upright's tent will flourish. Even modest righteousness outlasts impressive wickedness.

Overview

The proverb contrasts the seemingly solid 'house' of the wicked, destined to fall, with the humble 'tent' of the upright, which will thrive. The reversal of expectations underscores that moral foundations, not outward grandeur, determine endurance. This anticipates Jesus' teaching that the house built on His words stands when storms come (Matthew 7:24-27).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • Prov 3:33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.
  • Prov 12:7The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.
  • Matt 7:26–27But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
  • Prov 21:12The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.
  • Zech 5:4I will send it out, declares the LORD of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain inside his house and destroy it, down to its timbers and stones.”
  • Job 21:28For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
  • Job 18:14–15He is torn from the shelter of his tent and is marched off to the king of terrors.
  • Isa 58:11–12The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
  • Job 8:15He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure.
  • Prov 11:28He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like foliage.
  • Prov 21:20Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.
  • Ps 128:3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.
  • Job 8:6if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate.
  • Job 15:34For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.
  • Job 18:21Surely such is the dwelling of the wicked and the place of one who does not know God.”
  • Job 20:26–28Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.
  • Ps 112:2–3His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
  • Job 27:13–23This is the wicked man’s portion from God—the heritage the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Proverbs videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Proverbs 14:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ProverbsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.

How Proverbs 14:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.