14:1 Every wise woman 1 builds 2 her household, 3
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
14:2 The one who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, 4
but the one who is perverted in his ways 5 despises him.
14:3 In 6 the speech 7 of a fool is a rod for his back, 8
but the words 9 of the wise protect them.
14:4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is clean,
but an abundant harvest is produced by strong oxen. 10
14:5 A truthful witness 11 does not lie,
but a false witness 12 breathes out lies. 13
14:6 The scorner 14 seeks wisdom but finds none, 15
but understanding is easy 16 for a discerning person.
14:7 Leave the presence of a foolish person, 17
or 18 you will not understand 19 wise counsel. 20
14:8 The wisdom of the shrewd person 21 is to discern 22 his way,
but the folly of fools is deception. 23
14:9 Fools mock 24 at reparation, 25
but among the upright there is favor. 26
14:10 The heart knows its own bitterness, 27
and with its joy no one else 28 can share. 29
14:11 The household 30 of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent 31 of the upright will flourish.
14:12 There is a way that seems right to a person, 32
but its end is the way that leads to death. 33
14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, 34
and the end 35 of joy may be 36 grief.
14:14 The backslider 37 will be paid back 38 from his own ways,
but a good person will be rewarded 39 for his.
14:15 A naive person 40 believes everything,
but the shrewd person discerns his steps. 41
14:16 A wise person is cautious 42 and turns from evil,
but a fool throws off restraint 43 and is overconfident. 44
14:17 A person who has a quick temper 45 does foolish things,
and a person with crafty schemes 46 is hated. 47
14:18 The naive inherit 48 folly,
but the shrewd 49 are crowned 50 with knowledge.
14:19 Those who are evil will bow 51 before those who are good,
and the wicked will bow 52 at the gates 53 of the righteous.
14:20 A poor person is disliked 54 even by his neighbors,
but those who love the rich are many.
14:21 The one who despises his neighbor sins,
but whoever is kind to the needy is blessed.
14:22 Do not those who devise 55 evil go astray?
But those who plan good exhibit 56 faithful covenant love. 57
14:23 In all hard work 58 there is profit,
but merely talking about it 59 only brings 60 poverty. 61
14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches, 62
but the folly 63 of fools is folly.
14:25 A truthful witness 64 rescues lives, 65
but the one who breathes lies brings 66 deception. 67
14:26 In the fear of the Lord one has 68 strong confidence, 69
and it will be a refuge 70 for his children.
14:27 The fear of the Lord 71 is like 72 a life-giving fountain, 73
to turn 74 people 75 from deadly snares. 76
14:28 A king’s glory is 77 the abundance of people,
but the lack of subjects 78 is the ruin 79 of a ruler.
14:29 The one who is slow to anger has great understanding,
but the one who has a quick temper 80 exalts 81 folly.
14:30 A tranquil spirit 82 revives the body, 83
but envy 84 is rottenness to the bones. 85