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14 En klog kvinde opbygger sit hjem,
    en tåbelig kone river det ned.
Den, der vandrer ret, viser ærefrygt for Herren,
    den, der er i oprør, viser sin foragt.
Tåbelige ord får ubehagelige følger,[a]
    de vise tænker, før de taler.
Har man ingen okser, sparer man foderet,
    men stærke trækdyr kan give en stor høst.
Et trofast vidne lyver aldrig,
    et falsk vidne udspyr løgne.
Den, der arrogant søger visdom, finder den ikke,
    men med ydmyg fornuft vinder man viden.
Hold dig borte fra tåben,
    for dér får du ingen gode råd.
De kloge overvejer de skridt, de tager,
    tåben går rundt i blinde.
Tåber er ligeglade med, om de synder,
    de retskafne ønsker at gøre Guds vilje.
10 Ingen kan helt forstå en andens sorg
    eller fuldt ud føle en andens glæde.
11 Den gudløses hjem går til grunde,
    den gudfrygtiges familie blomstrer.
12 Man kan være helt sikker på at have ret
    og alligevel ende med et nederlag.
13 Et smil kan dække over hjertesorg,
    når smilet er væk, er smerten der stadig.
14 Den troløse må lide for sin utroskab,
    den trofaste får sin belønning.
15 Den naive tror på hvad som helst,
    den kloge tænker sig godt om.
16 Den kloge er forsigtig og holder sig fra det onde,
    tåben er overmodig og uden hæmninger.
17 Den hidsige handler uoverlagt,
    den fornuftige udholder meget.[b]
18 Den uforstandige øger sin dumhed,
    den kloge vokser i visdom.
19 De onde skal bukke i respekt for de gode
    og stå med hatten i hånden ved deres dør.
20 Den fattige har ingen venner,
    men alle flokkes om den rige.
21 At se ned på den fattige[c] er syndigt,
    men at hjælpe en stakkel giver velsignelse.
22 De, der har onde planer, ender i ulykke,
    de, der har godt i sinde, oplever[d] trofast kærlighed.
23 Hårdt arbejde giver godt udbytte,
    tom snak fører til fattigdom.
24 Den vises liv ender med succes,
    tåbens liv ender i tåbeligheder.
25 Et sandfærdigt vidne redder liv,
    et falsk vidne er en forræder.
26 De, der har ærefrygt for Herren, opnår fred og tryghed,
    og deres børn beskyttes af Gud.
27 Ærefrygt for Herren er kilden til liv,
    for den frelser fra dødens fælde.
28 En leder for et stort folk bliver æret,
    men en konge uden et folk er intet værd.
29 Den, der er tålmodig, udviser klogskab,
    den opfarende skilter med sin dumhed.
30 Fred i sindet giver helse til kroppen,
    bitterhed[e] æder én op indefra.
31 At udnytte de magtesløse er at håne deres Skaber,
    at hjælpe de nødlidende er at ære Gud.
32 Onde mennesker går til grunde i deres ondskab,
    de retskafne er i sikkerhed, selv når døden banker på.[f]
33 Visdommen tager bolig i et forstandigt menneske,
    men den finder ikke fodfæste i en tåbe.[g]
34 Retskaffenhed ophøjer en nation,
    synd er en skamplet på ethvert folk.
35 En klog tjener nyder velvilje hos kongen,
    en skamløs tjener får hans vrede at føle.

Footnotes

  1. 14,3 Eller: „fører til stolthed.” Den hebraiske tekst er uklar og måske kopieret forkert.
  2. 14,17 Oversat fra LXX, da den hebraiske tekst sandsynligvis ikke er original.
  3. 14,21 Efter LXX, jf. v. 31. Kan også oversættes „sin næste”.
  4. 14,22 Eller: „viser”.
  5. 14,30 Eller: „jalousi”.
  6. 14,32 Eller ud fra LXX: „Den onde falder på grund af sin ondskab, men den retskafne reddes af sin retskaffenhed.”
  7. 14,33 Efter LXX. Den hebraiske tekst mangler ordet ikke.

The Ways of Life and Death

14 The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
(A)But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
(B)But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Where no oxen are, the [a]trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.

A (C)faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter (D)lies.

A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But (E)knowledge is easy to him who understands.
Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of (F)knowledge.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.

(G)Fools mock at [b]sin,
But among the upright there is favor.

10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.

11 (H)The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12 (I)There is a way that seems right to a man,
But (J)its end is the way of (K)death.

13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And (L)the end of mirth may be grief.

14 The backslider in heart will be (M)filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied [c]from (N)above.

15 The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 (O)A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 (P)The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But [d]the rich has many (Q)friends.
21 He who despises his neighbor sins;
(R)But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,
But [e]idle chatter leads only to poverty.

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.

25 A true witness [f]delivers (S)souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.

26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27 (T)The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

28 In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

29 (U)He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is [g]impulsive exalts folly.

30 A sound heart is life to the body,
But (V)envy is (W)rottenness to the bones.

31 (X)He who oppresses the poor reproaches (Y)his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

32 The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But (Z)the righteous has a refuge in his death.

33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But (AA)what is in the heart of fools is made known.

34 Righteousness exalts a (AB)nation,
But sin is a [h]reproach to any people.

35 (AC)The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:4 manger or feed trough
  2. Proverbs 14:9 Lit. guilt
  3. Proverbs 14:14 Lit. from above himself
  4. Proverbs 14:20 Lit. many are the lovers of the rich
  5. Proverbs 14:23 Lit. talk of the lips
  6. Proverbs 14:25 saves lives
  7. Proverbs 14:29 Lit. short of spirit
  8. Proverbs 14:34 shame or disgrace