A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
Parallel translations
- WEB A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
- BSB A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.
- NKJV A true witness delivers souls, But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
- NASB A truthful witness saves lives, But one who declares lies is deceitful.
- NLT A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor.
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
A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness deceives. Honest testimony has the power to rescue.
Overview
In legal settings a true witness can save the innocent from wrongful harm, while a deceitful witness betrays. The proverb again underscores the life-and-death weight of truthful speech. It points toward Christ, the faithful and true witness, whose testimony saves souls eternally (John 18:37; Revelation 3:14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Prov 14:5A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
- Acts 26:16–20But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
- 2 Pet 3:3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
- Acts 20:26–27Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
- 1 Tim 4:1–3Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
- Acts 20:21Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 14:25 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.