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