Proverbs 14
1 A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish destroyeth it with her owne handes.
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 that walketh in his righteousnes, feareth the Lord: but he that is lewde in his wayes, despiseth 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 In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride: but the lippes of the wise preserue them.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Where none oxen are, there the cribbe is emptie: but much increase cometh by the strength of the oxe.
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 A faithfull witnes will not lye: but a false record will speake lyes.
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 scorner seeketh wisdome, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstande.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Depart from the foolish man, when thou perceiuest not in him the lippes of knowledge.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 The wisdome of ye prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the foolishnes of the fooles is deceite.
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 The foole maketh a mocke of sinne: but among the righteous there is fauour.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 The heart knoweth the bitternes of his soule, and the stranger shall not medle with his ioy.
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 shalbe destroyed: but the tabernacle of the righteous shall florish.
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 seemeth right to a man: but the issues thereof are the wayes 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 Euen in laughing the heart is sorowful, and the ende of that mirth is heauinesse.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 The heart that declineth, shall be saciate with his owne wayes: but a good man shall depart from him.
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 foolish will beleeue euery thing: but the prudent will consider his steppes.
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 feareth, and departeth from euill: but a foole rageth, and is carelesse.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 He that is hastie to anger, committeth follie, and a busie body 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 foolish do inherite follie: 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 euill shall bowe 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 poore is hated euen of his own neighbour: but the friendes of the rich are many.
[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 The sinner despiseth his neighbour: but he that hath mercie on the poore, is blessed.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Doe not they erre that imagine euill? but to them that thinke on good things, shalbe mercie and trueth.
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 In all labour there is abundance: but the talke of the lippes bringeth onely want.
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 crowne of the wise is their riches, and the follie of fooles is foolishnes.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 A faithfull witnes deliuereth soules: but a deceiuer speaketh lyes.
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 In the feare of the Lord is an assured strength, and his children shall haue hope.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 The feare of the Lord is as a welspring of life, to auoyde 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 In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King, and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince.
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 He that is slowe to wrath, is of great wisdome: but he that is of an hastie minde, exalteth follie.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 A sounde heart is the life of the flesh: but enuie is the rotting of 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 He that oppresseth the poore, reprooueth him that made him: but hee honoureth him, that hath mercie on the poore.
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 shall be cast away for his malice: but the righteous hath hope in his 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 Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding, and is knowen in the mids of fooles.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Iustice exalteth a nation, but sinne is a shame to the 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 The pleasure of a King is in a wise seruant: but his wrath shalbe toward him that is lewde.
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.
