Proverbs 14
1 Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.
Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
2 Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted [in] his ways is despising Him.
He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is perverse in his ways despises him.
3 In the mouth of a fool [is] a rod of pride, 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 lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.
A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.
6 A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent [is] easy.
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 thou hast 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 knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.
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 flourisheth.
The house of the wicked will be destroyed, 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 From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, 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 giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth 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 is cautious and turns away from evil, but the fool is arrogant and reckless.
17 Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices 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 Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, 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 Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness.
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
22 Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,
Do they not go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.
23 In all labour 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 breatheth out lies.
A truthful witness saves souls, but a false witness is deceitful.
26 In the fear of Jehovah [is] strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge.
In the fear of the LORD is a secure fortress, and he will be a refuge for his children.
27 The fear of Jehovah [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
28 In the multitude of a people [is] the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.
In the multitude of people is the king's glory, but in the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.
29 Whoso is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoso 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 reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
32 In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death [is] the righteous.
The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33 In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known.
Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made known in the inward part of fools.
34 Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The favour of a king [is] to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame!
The king's favor is toward a servant who deals wisely, but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.
