14 智慧的女子建立家园,
    愚昧的女子亲手拆毁。
行为正直的人敬畏耶和华,
    行事邪僻的人轻视耶和华。
愚人的狂言招来鞭打,
    智者的唇舌保护自己。
没有耕牛槽头净,
    五谷丰登需壮牛。
忠实的证人不会撒谎,
    虚假的证人谎话连篇。
嘲讽者徒然寻智慧,
    明哲人轻易得知识。
你要远离愚昧人,
    他口中毫无知识。
明哲凭智慧辨道,
    愚人被愚昧欺骗。
愚妄人戏看罪恶,
    正直人彼此恩待。
10 心头的愁苦,唯有自己明白;
    心中的喜乐,外人无法分享。
11 恶人的房屋必遭毁灭,
    正直人的帐篷必兴盛。
12 有的路看似正确,
    最终却通向死亡。
13 欢笑难消内心的痛苦,
    欢乐过后,悲伤犹在。
14 背弃正道,自食恶果;
    善人行善,必得善报。
15 愚昧人什么都信,
    明哲人步步谨慎。
16 智者小心谨慎,远离恶事;
    愚人骄傲自负,行事鲁莽。
17 急躁易怒的人做事愚昧,
    阴险奸诈之人遭人痛恨。
18 愚昧人得愚昧作产业,
    明哲人得知识为冠冕。
19 坏人俯伏在善人面前,
    恶人俯伏在义人门口。
20 穷人遭邻舍厌,
    富人朋友众多。
21 藐视邻舍是罪过,
    怜悯穷人蒙福乐。
22 图谋恶事的步入歧途,
    行善的受爱戴和拥护。
23 殷勤工作,带来益处;
    满嘴空谈,导致贫穷。
24 智者以财富为冠冕,
    愚人以愚昧为装饰。
25 诚实的证人挽救性命,
    口吐谎言者欺骗他人。
26 敬畏耶和华的信心坚定,
    他的子孙也有庇护所。
27 敬畏耶和华是生命的泉源,
    可以使人避开死亡的陷阱。
28 人民众多,是君王的荣耀;
    没有臣民,君主必然败亡。
29 不轻易发怒者深明事理,
    鲁莽急躁的人显出愚昧。
30 心平气和,滋润生命;
    妒火中烧,啃蚀骨头。
31 欺压穷人等于侮辱造物主,
    怜悯贫弱就是尊敬造物主。
32 恶人因恶行而灭亡,
    义人到死仍有倚靠。
33 智慧存在哲士心里,
    愚人心中充满无知。
34 公义能叫邦国兴盛,
    罪恶是人民的耻辱。
35 明智的臣子蒙王喜悦,
    可耻的仆人惹王发怒。

14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,(B)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.(C)

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox(D) come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(E)

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,
    but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.(F)

Stay away from a fool,
    for you will not find knowledge on their lips.

The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(G)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(H)

Fools mock at making amends for sin,
    but goodwill is found among the upright.

10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,
    and no one else can share its joy.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,(I)
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.(J)

12 There is a way that appears to be right,(K)
    but in the end it leads to death.(L)

13 Even in laughter(M) the heart may ache,
    and rejoicing may end in grief.

14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways,(N)
    and the good rewarded for theirs.(O)

15 The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.(P)

16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,(Q)
    but a fool(R) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

17 A quick-tempered person(S) does foolish things,(T)
    and the one who devises evil schemes is hated.(U)

18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

19 Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good,
    and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.(V)

20 The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
    but the rich have many friends.(W)

21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor,(X)
    but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.(Y)

22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?(Z)
    But those who plan what is good find[a] love and faithfulness.

23 All hard work brings a profit,
    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

24 The wealth of the wise is their crown,
    but the folly of fools yields folly.(AA)

25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but a false witness is deceitful.(AB)

26 Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,(AC)
    and for their children it will be a refuge.(AD)

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,(AE)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(AF)

28 A large population is a king’s glory,
    but without subjects a prince is ruined.(AG)

29 Whoever is patient has great understanding,(AH)
    but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.(AI)

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.(AJ)

31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,(AK)
    but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.(AL)

32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down,(AM)
    but even in death the righteous seek refuge in God.(AN)

33 Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning(AO)
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.[b]

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,(AP)
    but sin condemns any people.

35 A king delights in a wise servant,
    but a shameful servant arouses his fury.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:22 Or show
  2. Proverbs 14:33 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac discerning / but in the heart of fools she is not known

14 (A)The wisest of women (B)builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands (C)tears it down.
Whoever (D)walks in uprightness fears the Lord,
    but he who is (E)devious in his ways despises him.
By the mouth of a fool comes (F)a rod for his back,[a]
    (G)but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
(H)A faithful witness does not lie,
    but (I)a false witness breathes out lies.
(J)A scoffer seeks wisdom (K)in vain,
    but (L)knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.
Leave the presence of a fool,
    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceiving.
(M)Fools mock at the guilt offering,
    but the upright enjoy acceptance.[b]
10 The heart knows its own (N)bitterness,
    and no stranger shares its joy.
11 (O)The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 (P)There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but (Q)its end is the way to death.[c]
13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
    and (R)the end of joy may be (S)grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be (T)filled with the fruit of his ways,
    and (U)a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
15 (V)The simple believes everything,
    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 (W)One who is wise is cautious[d] and (X)turns away from evil,
    but a fool is reckless and careless.
17 A man of (Y)quick temper acts foolishly,
    and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 (Z)The evil bow down before the good,
    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20 (AA)The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
    (AB)but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever (AC)despises his neighbor is a sinner,
    but (AD)blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
22 Do they not go astray who (AE)devise evil?
    Those who devise good meet[e] (AF)steadfast love and faithfulness.
23 In all toil there is profit,
    but mere talk (AG)tends only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
    but the folly of fools brings folly.
25 A truthful witness saves lives,
    but one who (AH)breathes out lies is deceitful.
26 In the fear of the Lord one has (AI)strong confidence,
    and (AJ)his children will have (AK)a refuge.
27 The fear of the Lord is (AL)a fountain of life,
    that one may (AM)turn away from the snares of death.
28 In (AN)a multitude of people is the glory of a king,
    but without people a prince is ruined.
29 Whoever is (AO)slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.
30 A tranquil[f] heart gives (AP)life to the flesh,
    but (AQ)envy[g] makes (AR)the bones rot.
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man (AS)insults his (AT)Maker,
    (AU)but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
32 (AV)The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,
    but (AW)the righteous finds refuge in his death.
33 Wisdom (AX)rests in the heart of a man of understanding,
    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.[h]
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
    but sin is a reproach to any people.
35 A servant who deals wisely has (AY)the king's favor,
    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride
  2. Proverbs 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance
  3. Proverbs 14:12 Hebrew ways of death
  4. Proverbs 14:16 Or fears [the Lord]
  5. Proverbs 14:22 Or show
  6. Proverbs 14:30 Or healing
  7. Proverbs 14:30 Or jealousy
  8. Proverbs 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools