Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.
The wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears 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.
The one who walks uprightly fears Yahweh, but the one who is dishonest 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.
From the mouth of a fool comes an offshoot of his pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4 Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.
Where there are no cattle the feeding trough is clean, but an abundant crop can come by the strength of an ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.
A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
6 A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
A mocker seeks wisdom and there is none, but knowledge comes easy to the one who is discerning.
7 Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.
Walk away from a foolish person, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.
The wisdom of the prudent person is to understand his own way, but the folly of fools is deception.
9 Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.
Fools mock when the guilt offering is sacrificed, but among the upright favor is shared.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.
The heart knows its own bitterness and no stranger shares its joy.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.
The house of wicked people will be destroyed, but the tent of upright people will flourish.
12 There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end only leads to death.
13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
A heart can laugh but still be in pain and joy may end up being grief.
14 The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.
The one who is not faithful will get what his ways deserve, but a good person will get what is his.
15 The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.
The one who is naive believes everything, but the prudent man thinks about his steps.
16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
A wise man fears and turns away from evil, but the fool confidently dismisses a warning.
17 Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
One who is quick to become angry does foolish things, and a person who makes evil schemes is hated.
18 The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.
The naive inherit foolishness, but prudent people are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Evil people will bow down before those who are good and those who are wicked will bow down at the gates of the righteous person.
20 The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.
The poor person is hated even by his own companions, but the rich people have many friends.
21 Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.
The one who shows contempt for his neighbor is sinning, but the one who shows favor to the poor is blessed.
22 Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan to do good will receive covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness.
23 In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
With all hard work comes a profit, but when there is only talk, it leads to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.
The crown of wise people is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings them only more folly.
25 A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.
A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness breathes out lies.
26 Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.
When someone fears Yahweh, he also has much confidence in him; these things will be like a strong place of protection for this man's children.
27 The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, so that a person may turn away 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.
The glory of a king is found in the great number of his people, but without people the prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.
A patient person has great understanding, but the quick-tempered person exalts folly.
30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
A tranquil heart is life for the body, but envy rots the bones.
31 An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.
The one who oppresses the poor curses his Maker, but the one who shows favor to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
The wicked person is brought down by his evil actions, but the righteous person has a refuge even in 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 the discerning, but even among fools she lets herself be known.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
Doing what is right exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace 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 favor of the king is with the servant who acts prudently, but his anger is for the one who acts shamefully.
