Proverbs 14
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 14
1 Wisdom builds her house,
but Folly tears hers down with her own hands.[a]
2 Those who walk uprightly fear the Lord,
but those who are devious in their ways spurn him.
3 In the mouth of the fool is a rod for pride,
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the crib is clean;
but abundant crops come through the strength of the bull.[b]
5 A trustworthy witness does not lie,
but one who spouts lies makes a lying witness.[c](A)
6 The scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,
but knowledge is easy for the intelligent.
7 Go from the face of the fool;
you get no knowledge from such lips.
8 The wisdom of the shrewd enlightens their way,
but the folly of fools is deceit.[d]
9 The wicked scorn a guilt offering,
but the upright find acceptance.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and its joy no stranger shares.[e]
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.[f](B)
12 Sometimes a way seems right,
but the end of it leads to death!(C)
13 Even in laughter the heart may be sad,
and the end of joy may be sorrow.
14 From their own ways turncoats are sated,
from their own actions, the loyal.
15 The naive believe everything,
but the shrewd watch their steps.[g]
16 The wise person is cautious and turns from evil;
the fool is reckless and gets embroiled.
17 The quick-tempered make fools of themselves,
and schemers are hated.
18 The simple have folly as an adornment,
but the shrewd wear knowledge as a crown.[h]
19 The malicious bow down before the good,
and the wicked, at the gates of the just.
20 Even by their neighbors the poor are despised,
but a rich person’s friends are many.(D)
21 Whoever despises the hungry comes up short,
but happy the one who is kind to the poor![i]
22 Do not those who plan evil go astray?
But those who plan good win steadfast loyalty.
23 In all labor there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to loss.
24 The crown of the wise is wealth;
the diadem of fools is folly.
25 The truthful witness saves lives,
but whoever utters lies is a betrayer.
26 The fear of the Lord is a strong defense,
a refuge even for one’s children.
27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
turning one from the snares of death.
28 A multitude of subjects is the glory of the king;
but if his people are few, a prince is ruined.
29 Long-suffering results in great wisdom;
a short temper raises folly high.[j](E)
30 A tranquil mind gives life to the body,
but jealousy rots the bones.
31 Those who oppress the poor revile their Maker,
but those who are kind to the needy honor him.(F)
32 The wicked are overthrown by their wickedness,
but the just find a refuge in their integrity.
33 Wisdom can remain silent in the discerning heart,
but among fools she must make herself known.[k](G)
34 Justice exalts a nation,
but sin is a people’s disgrace.[l]
35 The king favors the skillful servant,
but the shameless one incurs his wrath.
Footnotes
- 14:1 The relationship between Wisdom, personified as a woman, and building a house is a constant theme. As elsewhere, the book here warns against the wrong woman and praises the right woman.
- 14:4 If one has no animals, one does not have the burden of keeping the crib full, but without them one will have no crops to fill the barn. Colon B reverses the sense of colon A and also reverses the consonants of bar (“clean”) to rab (“abundant”).
- 14:5 On discerning the truthfulness of witnesses; see 12:17.
- 14:8 Wisdom enables the shrewd to know their path is right but folly leads fools on the wrong path (“deceit”), which calls down retribution.
- 14:10 The heart in Proverbs is where a person’s sense impressions are stored and reflected upon. It is thus one’s most personal and individual part. One’s sorrows and joys (= the full range of emotions) cannot be shared fully with another. Verse 13 expresses the same individuality of the human person.
- 14:11 The traditional fixed pair “house” and “tent” is used to express the paradox that a house can be less secure than a tent if there is no justice.
- 14:15 The naive gullibly rely on others’ words whereas the shrewd watch their own steps.
- 14:18 The inner quality of a person, simple or wise, will eventually be revealed.
- 14:21 The paradox is that anyone who spurns the hungry will lack something, but anyone who shows mercy (presumably by giving to the poor) will gain prosperity.
- 14:29 A series of puns on short and long; lit., “long of nostrils (idiom for “patient”), large in wisdom, / short in breath (idiom for “impatient”), makes folly tall.”
- 14:33 Wisdom can remain silent in a wise person as a welcome friend. But it must speak out among fools, for the dissonance is so strong.
- 14:34 The rare noun “disgrace” occurs elsewhere only in Lv 20:17. In measuring the greatness of a nation, one is tempted to consider territory, wealth, history, but the most important criterion is its relationship to God (“justice”).
Proverbs 14
New International Reader's Version
14 A wise woman builds her house.
But a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands.
2 Whoever has respect for the Lord lives a good life.
But those who hate him walk down an evil path.
3 The proud words of a foolish person sting like a whip.
But the things wise people say keep them safe.
4 Where there are no oxen, the feed box is empty.
But a strong ox brings in huge harvests.
5 An honest witness does not lie.
But a dishonest witness pours out lies.
6 Those who make fun of others look for wisdom and don’t find it.
But knowledge comes easily to those who understand what is right.
7 Stay away from a foolish person.
You won’t find knowledge in what they say.
8 People are wise and understanding when they think about the way they live.
But people are foolish when their foolish ways trick them.
9 Foolish people laugh at making things right when they sin.
But honest people try to do the right thing.
10 Each heart knows its own sadness.
And no one else can share its joy.
11 The houses of sinners will be destroyed.
But the tents of honest people will stand firm.
12 There is a way that appears to be right.
But in the end it leads to death.
13 Even when you laugh, your heart can be hurting.
And your joy can end in sadness.
14 Those who aren’t faithful will be paid back
for what they’ve done.
And good people will receive rewards
for how they’ve lived.
15 A childish person believes anything.
But a wise person thinks about how they live.
16 A wise person has respect for the Lord and avoids evil.
But a foolish person has a bad temper and yet feels secure.
17 Anyone who gets angry quickly does foolish things.
And a person who is tricky is hated.
18 Childish people act in keeping with their foolish ways.
But knowledge makes wise people feel like kings.
19 Evil people will bow down in front of good people.
And those who do wrong will bow down at the gates of those who do right.
20 Poor people are avoided even by their neighbors.
But rich people have many friends.
21 It is a sin to hate your neighbor.
But blessed is the person who is kind to those in need.
22 Those who plan evil go down the wrong path.
But those who plan good find love and truth.
23 All hard work pays off.
But if all you do is talk, you will be poor.
24 The wealth of wise people is their crown.
But the foolish ways of foolish people lead to what is foolish.
25 An honest witness saves lives.
But a dishonest witness tells lies.
26 Anyone who shows respect for the Lord has a strong tower.
It will be a safe place for their children.
27 Respect for the Lord is like a fountain that gives life.
It turns you away from the jaws of death.
28 A large population is a king’s glory.
But a prince without followers is destroyed.
29 Anyone who is patient has great understanding.
But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are.
30 A peaceful heart gives life to the body.
But jealousy rots the bones.
31 Anyone who crushes poor people makes fun of their Maker.
But anyone who is kind to those in need honors God.
32 When trouble comes, sinners are brought down.
But godly people seek safety in God even as they die.
33 Wisdom rests in the hearts of those who understand what is right.
And even among foolish people she makes herself known.
34 Doing what is right lifts people up.
But sin brings judgment to any nation.
35 A king is pleased with a wise servant.
But a servant who is full of shame stirs up the king’s anger.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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