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 the foolish one 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.
He who walks in his uprightness fears Yahweh, 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.
The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the wise protect 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 much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5 A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.
A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6 A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.
A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
7 Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.
Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t 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 is to think about 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 making atonement for sins, 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 joy; he will not share these with a stranger.
11 The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.
The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will 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 in the end it leads to death.
13 Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.
Even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful, and mirth may end in heaviness.
14 The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.
The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
15 The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.
A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
16 The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.
A wise man fears and shuns evil, but the fool is hot headed and reckless.
17 Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.
He who is quick to become angry will commit folly, and a crafty man 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 person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person 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 is blessed.
22 Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.
In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads 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, but the folly of fools crowns them with folly.
25 A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.
A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
26 Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.
In the fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his 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, turning people 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 lack 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 has great understanding, but he who has a quick temper displays folly.
30 A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.
The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.
31 An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.
The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
Righteousness 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 king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
