Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman builds her house: but the foolish plucks it down with her hands.
Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.
2 He that walks in his uprightness fears the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despises him.
Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways.
3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, And the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.
5 A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scorner seeks wisdom, and finds it not: but knowledge is easy to him that understands.
A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when you perceive not in him the lips of knowledge.
Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.
10 The heart knows his own bitterness; and a stranger does not intermeddle with his joy.
The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.
11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.
12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.
15 The simple believes every word: but the prudent man looks well to his going.
The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.
16 A wise man fears, and departs from evil: but the fool rages, and is confident.
The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
17 He that is soon angry deals foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.
19 The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbor: but the rich has many friends.
The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.
21 He that despises his neighbor sins: but he that has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.
22 Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
23 In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tends only to penury.
In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
24 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.
25 A true witness delivers souls: but a deceitful witness speaks lies.
A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.
26 In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
28 In the multitude of people is the king’s honor: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, And the ruin of a prince in lack of people.
29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalts folly.
Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.
30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
31 He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker: but he that honors him has mercy on the poor.
An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous has hope in his death.
The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him that has understanding: but that which is in the middle of fools is made known.
Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
35 The king’s favor is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causes shame.
The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!
