Proverbs 14

1Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.

1Wisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.

2Whoso is walking in his uprightness is fearing Jehovah, And the perverted <FI>in<Fi> his ways is despising Him.

2He who goes on his way in righteousness has before him the fear of the Lord; but he whose ways are twisted gives him no honour.

3In the mouth of a fool <FI>is<Fi> a rod of pride, And the lips of the wise preserve them.

3In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.

4Without oxen a stall <FI>is<Fi> clean, And great <FI>is<Fi> the increase by the power of the ox.

4Where there are no oxen, their food-place is clean; but much increase comes through the strength of the ox.

5A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.

5A true witness does not say what is false, but a false witness is breathing out deceit.

6A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent <FI>is<Fi> easy.

6The hater of authority, searching for wisdom, does not get it; but knowledge comes readily to the open-minded man.

7Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.

7Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.

8The wisdom of the prudent <FI>is<Fi> to understand his way, And the folly of fools <FI>is<Fi> deceit.

8The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.

9Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright--a pleasing thing.

9In the tents of those hating authority there is error, but in the house of the upright man there is grace.

10The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.

10No one has knowledge of a man's grief but himself; and a strange person has no part in his joy.

11The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourisheth.

11The house of the sinner will be overturned, but the tent of the upright man will do well.

12There is a way--right before a man, And its latter end <FI>are<Fi> ways of death.

12There is a way which seems straight before a man, but its end is the ways of death.

13Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy <FI>is<Fi> affliction.

13Even while laughing the heart may be sad; and after joy comes sorrow.

14From his ways is the backslider in heart filled, And a good man--from his fruits.

14He whose heart is turned away will have the reward of his ways in full measure; but a good man will have the reward of his doings.

15The simple giveth credence to everything, And the prudent attendeth to his step.

15The simple man has faith in every word, but the man of good sense gives thought to his footsteps.

16The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.

16The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.

17Whoso is short of temper doth folly, And a man of wicked devices is hated.

17He who is quickly angry will do what is foolish, but the man of good sense will have quiet.

18The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned <FI>with<Fi> knowledge.

18Foolish behaviour is the heritage of the simple, but men of good sense are crowned with knowledge.

19The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

19The knees of the evil are bent before the good; and sinners go down in the dust at the doors of the upright.

20Even of his neighbour is the poor hated, And those loving the rich <FI>are<Fi> many.

20The poor man is hated even by his neighbour, but the man of wealth has numbers of friends.

21Whoso is despising his neighbour sinneth, Whoso is favouring the humble, O his happiness.

21He who has no respect for his neighbour is a sinner, but he who has pity for the poor is happy.

22Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth <FI>are<Fi> to those devising good,

22Will not the designers of evil come into error? But mercy and good faith are for the designers of good.

23In all labour there is advantage, And a thing of the lips <FI>is<Fi> only to want.

23In all hard work there is profit, but talk only makes a man poor.

24The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools <FI>is<Fi> folly.

24Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.

25A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breatheth out lies.

25A true witness is the saviour of lives; but he who says false things is a cause of deceit.

26In the fear of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge.

26For him in whose heart is the fear of the Lord there is strong hope: and his children will have a safe place.

27The fear of Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, by which one may be turned from the nets of death.

28In the multitude of a people <FI>is<Fi> the honour of a king, And in lack of people the ruin of a prince.

28A king's glory is in the number of his people: and for need of people a ruler may come to destruction.

29Whoso is slow to anger <FI>is<Fi> of great understanding, And whoso is short in temper is exalting folly.

29He who is slow to be angry has great good sense; but he whose spirit is over-quick gives support to what is foolish.

30A healed heart <FI>is<Fi> life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones <FI>is<Fi> envy.

30A quiet mind is the life of the body, but envy is a disease in the bones.

31An oppressor of the poor reproacheth his Maker, And whoso is honouring Him Is favouring the needy.

31He who is hard on the poor puts shame on his Maker; but he who has mercy on those who are in need gives him honour.

32In his wickedness is the wicked driven away, And trustful in his death <FI>is<Fi> the righteous.

32The sinner is overturned in his evil-doing, but the upright man has hope in his righteousness.

33In the heart of the intelligent wisdom doth rest. And in the midst of fools it is known.

33Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.

34Righteousness exalteth a nation, And the goodliness of peoples <FI>is<Fi> a sin-offering.

34By righteousness a nation is lifted up, but sin is a cause of shame to the peoples.

35The favour of a king <FI>is<Fi> to a wise servant, And an object of his wrath is one causing shame!

35The king has pleasure in a servant who does wisely, but his wrath is against him who is a cause of shame.