Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
Wise women [PRS] hold their families together [by the wise things that they do], but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.
2 He who walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
By [continually] behaving/acting righteously, [people show that they] greatly revere Yahweh; those who (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) [show that they] despise him.
3 The proud speech of a fool brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect them.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of the ox.
If [a man has] no oxen [to plow his field], he does not [need to put] grain [in their feedbox], but if [he has] oxen, they will enable [him to produce] an abundant crop.
5 An honest witness does not deceive, but a dishonest witness pours forth lies.
Witnesses who are reliable [always] say what (is true/really happened), but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies [about what happened].
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools deceives them.
Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do [and what they should not do]; foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.
9 Fools mock the making of amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.
If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing; no one else [can] know what you are feeling.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
Houses built by wicked [people] will be destroyed, but houses built by good/righteous [people] will last for a long time.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that [some] people [falsely] think are right, but (walking on those roads/continually doing those things) causes [those people] to die.
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in sorrow.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve, and those who continually do what is good will [also] get what they deserve.
15 The simple man believes every word, but the prudent man watches his steps.
Foolish people believe everything [that people tell them]; those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.
16 A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a devious man is hated.
Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things; [people] hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).
18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things; those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.
19 The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
[Some day] evil [people] will bow down in front of righteous [people to show that they respect them]; they [will humbly stand] at the gates of [the houses of] righteous [people and request their help].
20 The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.
[No one likes] poor [people]; even their friends/neighbors do not like them; rich [people] have many friends, but [only while the rich people still have money].
21 He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Do not those who contrive evil go astray? But those who plan goodness find loving devotion and faithfulness.
Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road; people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.
23 There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
If you work hard, you will (accomplish something good/get a good income), but if all you do is to talk [and not work], you will remain poor.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the effort of fools is folly.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is deceitful.
By saying [in court] what is true, you [can] save the life [of the one who is being falsely accused]; if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help [to defend him].
26 He who fears the LORD is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is [like] [MET] [having] a fountain that gives life; it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].
28 A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
If a king rules over many people, many people will [be able to] honor him; if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.
29 A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man promotes folly.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body; having a mind that is [often] in turmoil is [like] [MET] cancer in [a person’s] bones.
31 Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people, but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.
32 The wicked man is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous man has a refuge even in death.
Wicked [people] ruin themselves by the evil things that they do, but righteous/good [people] are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; even among fools she is known.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
[When] the people of a nation [continually act] righteously, it causes that nation to be great; [continually doing what is] evil causes a nation to be disgraced.
35 A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.
Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully, but they punish [MTY] those who [do their work in a manner that] causes the kings to be disgraced.
