Proverbs 14

Every wise woman builds up her household, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

1Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Note"House" in Hebrew means both the building and the household that lives in it, together with its property, servants and standing. "Building a house" can therefore mean raising a family and its fortunes rather than construction work.

2The person who lives an honest life fears the LORD, but the person whose ways are crooked shows contempt for him.

2He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

Note"Perverse" in 1611 English meant twisted or crooked, with no sexual sense. The Hebrew word pictures a road that bends away from a straight line.

3A fool's proud talk brings a rod down on his own back, but the words of the wise keep them safe.

3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.

NoteThe Hebrew is compressed and can be read two ways: the fool's proud speech is a stick that ends up beating him, or his mouth produces a "shoot" of pride (the same word can mean a branch or a rod). A rod was the ordinary instrument of beating, used on children, servants and offenders.

4Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough stays clean, but a large harvest comes through the strength of an ox.

4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

NoteKJV "crib" means a feeding trough for livestock, not a child's bed; "clean" here means empty. Oxen were the plow animals on which the size of a harvest depended.

5A trustworthy witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.

5A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.

NoteLegal cases were decided by witnesses testifying in public, normally at the town gate, with no police or physical evidence. A lying witness could strip a person of property or life, which is why Proverbs returns so often to true and false witnesses.

6A mocker looks for wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge comes easily to the person who understands.

6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

Note"Scorner" (elsewhere "mocker") is a fixed character type in Proverbs: not merely a rude person, but one who refuses correction and treats being taught as beneath him.

7Get away from a foolish man once you see there is nothing wise in what he says.

7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

8The wisdom of a careful person is understanding the road he is on, but the foolishness of fools is deception.

8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

Note"Prudent" translates a Hebrew word meaning shrewd or clever, the practical skill of sizing up a situation. It is morally neutral; the same word describes the serpent in Genesis 3.

9Fools laugh at sin, but among those who do right there is goodwill.

9Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

NoteThe Hebrew here is difficult. The word behind KJV "sin" usually means guilt, or the guilt offering brought to put a wrong right, so the line may mean that fools scoff at making amends. The second half is also uncertain; "favour" renders a word for goodwill, whether God's or other people's.

10The heart knows its own bitterness, and no outsider can share in its joy.

10The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

Note"Heart" in Hebrew usage means the inner person as a whole (thinking, choosing and feeling) closer to "mind" than to the modern seat of emotion. "Intermeddle" in KJV English simply means to share in something, without the modern sense of prying.

11The house of wicked people will be torn down, but the tent of honest people will flourish.

11The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

Note"Tabernacle" in KJV English just means a tent; no sanctuary is meant. The contrast is between a solidly built house and a nomad's tent.

12There is a way that looks right to a person, but where it ends are the roads of death.

12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

13Even while a person is laughing, the heart can ache, and that happiness can end in sorrow.

13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

14The person whose heart has turned away gets a full serving of his own ways, and a good man is satisfied by what is his own.

14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Note"Backslider" translates a word for one who turns back or turns away. "Filled with his own ways" uses the image of being served a full portion at a meal. The second line is compressed in Hebrew (literally "and a good man, from what is upon him") which is why translations differ over whether the good man is satisfied from himself, from his own conduct, or from what is above him.

15A person with no experience believes every word, but a careful person watches where he steps.

15The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Note"Simple" is a technical term in Proverbs for the untrained, inexperienced person (typically a young man whose judgment is not yet formed), not someone stupid. It describes a stage that can be left behind.

16A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool loses his temper and is sure of himself.

16A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

Note"Feareth" in the first line means is wary or cautious, not frightened. "Confident" carries the older sense of careless and overconfident, sure of himself where such certainty is not warranted.

17Someone who is quick to get angry acts foolishly, and a man who schemes to do harm is hated.

17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

18People with no experience end up owning foolishness, but careful people are crowned with knowledge.

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

19Evil people bow down before good people, and the wicked bow at the gates of those who do right.

19The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

NoteBowing low to the ground was the posture of a defeated enemy or a beggar. "Gates" are the entrance to a town or a household, the public place where business, charity and legal disputes were conducted.

20A poor man is disliked even by his own neighbor, but a rich man has many friends.

20The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.

21Whoever looks down on his neighbor is sinning, but whoever is kind to the poor is happy.

21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Note"Happy is he" renders a Hebrew exclamation closer to "how fortunate he is" or "he is to be congratulated", a verdict on a person's standing, not a description of his mood.

22Do not the people who plan evil go wrong? But kindness and faithfulness come to those who plan good.

22Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

Note"Mercy and truth" is a standing Hebrew word-pair (chesed and 'emet): committed, loyal kindness joined to reliability. It describes one quality of keeping faith with others rather than two separate virtues.

23There is something to gain in all hard work, but talk by itself leads only to poverty.

23In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

Note"Penury" is an old word for poverty. "Talk of the lips" means words on their own, as opposed to work done.

24The crown of the wise is their wealth, but the foolishness of fools is nothing but foolishness.

24The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

NoteBoth halves are awkward in Hebrew. In the first line some read "riches," others, by changing one letter, "prudence." The second line simply repeats the word for folly, and some take the repeated word as the garland or wreath fools end up wearing, the mirror image of the crown.

25A truthful witness saves lives, but a lying witness is a deceiver.

25A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

Note"Souls" here means lives, that is, persons; the Hebrew word does not denote an immaterial part of a person. In a capital case a truthful witness literally kept the accused alive.

26In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and his children will have a safe place to go.

26In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

Note"His children" is as ambiguous in Hebrew as in English: the children may be those of the person who fears the LORD, or God's own.

27The fear of the LORD is a spring of life that turns a person away from the traps of death.

27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

28A large population is a king's glory, but a ruler with no people is ruined.

28In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.

Note"Want" means lack, and "prince" means a ruler or high official. Population was the standard measure of a kingdom's strength: people meant soldiers, farm labor and tax revenue.

29A person who is slow to get angry has great understanding, but a hot-tempered person holds foolishness up high.

29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Note"Exalteth folly" is a literal rendering of an idiom meaning to lift folly up where everyone can see it, to put it on display. "Hasty of spirit" means short-tempered.

30A calm heart gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

30A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Note"Sound heart" translates a phrase meaning a healed or tranquil mind. "Bones" in Hebrew stands for a person's frame and vitality, the innermost structure, so rotting bones means decay at the core, not a disease of the skeleton.

31Whoever crushes the poor insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to the poor honors him.

31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

Note"Reproacheth" means taunts or insults. In the second half KJV's "him" refers back to the Maker, not to the poor man: the one honored is God.

32The wicked man is driven away by his own wrongdoing, but the righteous man has hope even in his death.

32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.

NoteThe Hebrew text reads "in his death," but the ancient Greek and Syriac versions read a nearly identical word meaning "in his integrity," giving "the righteous finds refuge in his integrity." KJV follows the Hebrew; the difference is one letter.

33Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a person who understands, but what is inside fools becomes known.

33Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.

NoteThe second line reads in Hebrew simply "and in the midst of fools it is made known." The ancient Greek and Syriac versions include a negative ("wisdom is not known among fools") and many translators judge that the negative dropped out of the Hebrew. Both readings are defensible.

34Doing what is right lifts a nation up, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

Note"Reproach" means disgrace. The Hebrew word translated so (chesed) normally means kindness or loyalty; here it seems to carry a rarer sense of shame, which is why the line reads oddly even in Hebrew.

35A king is pleased with a wise servant, but his anger falls on the one who brings shame.

35The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.