Proverbs 14
1 The wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
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 The one who walks uprightly fears Yahweh, but the one who is dishonest in his ways despises 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 From the mouth of a fool comes an offshoot of his pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say, but wise [people] will be protected by what they say [MTY].
4 Where there are no cattle the feeding trough is clean, but an abundant crop can come by the strength of an ox.
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 faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
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 mocker seeks wisdom and there is none, but knowledge comes easy to the one who is discerning.
Those who make fun [of being wise] will never become wise, but those who understand [what is right] learn things easily.
7 Walk away from a foolish person, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.
Stay away from foolish people, because they will not be able to teach you anything [useful].
8 The wisdom of the prudent person is to understand his own way, but the folly of fools is deception.
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 Fools mock when the guilt offering is sacrificed, but among the upright favor is shared.
Foolish people make fun of their committing sins; but God is pleased with those who do what is right.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness and no stranger shares its joy.
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 wicked people will be destroyed, but the tent of upright people will flourish.
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 seems right to a man, but its end only leads to 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 A heart can laugh but still be in pain and joy may end up being grief.
[Sometimes] when people laugh, they are [really] sad, and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.
14 The one who is not faithful will get what his ways deserve, but a good person will get what is his.
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 one who is naive believes everything, but the prudent man thinks about his steps.
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 fears and turns away from evil, but the fool confidently dismisses a warning.
Wise people are careful and avoid [doing things that will give them] trouble; foolish people are careless and act (too quickly/without thinking).
17 One who is quick to become angry does foolish things, and a person who makes evil schemes 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 naive inherit foolishness, but prudent people 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 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.
[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 poor person is hated even by his own companions, but the rich people have many friends.
[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 one who shows contempt for his neighbor is sinning, but the one who shows favor to the poor is blessed.
It is sinful to despise your [poor] neighbors; [God] is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.
22 Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan to do good will receive covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness.
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 With all hard work comes a profit, but when there is only talk, it leads to poverty.
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 crown of wise people is their wealth, but the folly of fools brings them only more folly.
One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich; the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.
25 A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness breathes out lies.
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 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.
Those who revere Yahweh are confident [that he will protect them], and their family will [also] be protected.
27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, so that a person may turn away from 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 The glory of a king is found in the great number of his people, but without people the prince is ruined.
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 A patient person has great understanding, but the quick-tempered person exalts folly.
Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise; by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.
30 A tranquil heart is life for the body, but envy rots 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 The one who oppresses the poor curses his Maker, but the one who shows favor to the needy honors him.
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 person is brought down by his evil actions, but the righteous person has a refuge even in 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 Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning, but even among fools she lets herself be known.
Those who have good sense always think what is wise; foolish people do not know anything about being wise.
34 Doing what is right exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any 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 favor of the king is with the servant who acts prudently, but his anger is for the one who acts shamefully.
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.
