Proverbs 14:3

New English Translation

³In^[a] the speech^[b] of a fool is a rod for his back,^[c]
but the words^[d] of the wise protect them.

Proverbs 14:3 tn The preposition ב (bet) may denote (1) exchange: “in exchange for” foolish talk there is a rod; or (2) cause: “because of” foolish talk.
Proverbs 14:3 sn The noun פֶּה (peh, “mouth”) functions as a metonymy of cause for what is said (“speech, words, talk”).
Proverbs 14:3 tc The MT reads גַּאֲוָה (gaʾavah, “pride”) which creates an awkward sense “in the mouth of a fool is a rod/shoot of pride” (cf. KJV, ASV), perhaps meaning that pride sprouts from his mouth. The BHS editors suggest emending the form to גֵּוֹה (gevoh, “disciplining-rod”) to create tighter parallelism and irony: “in the mouth of a fool is a rod for the back” (e.g., Prov 10:13). What the fool says will bring discipline.tn Heb “a rod of back.” The noun גֵּוֹה functions as a genitive of specification: “a rod for his back.” The fool is punished because of what he says.
Proverbs 14:3 tn Heb “lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause, meaning what they say. The wise by their speech will find protection.

Proverbs 14:3

New American Standard Bible

³In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But ^(A)the lips of the wise will protect them.

²⁵A truthful witness^[a] rescues lives,^[b]
but one who testifies falsely betrays them.^[c]

Proverbs 14:25 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
Proverbs 14:25 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (n^efashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives”—it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.
Proverbs 14:25 tc In the MT the verb lacks agreement with the two nouns in either gender or number so that there is no clear subject: “but he breathes lies, deceit.” Revocalizing the consonants from וְיָפִחַ (v^eyafiakh, “and he breathes/testifies”) to וִיפֵחַ (vifeakh, “and a witness [of lies]”) and from מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”) to the Piel participle מְרַמֶּה (m^erammeh, “betrays, deceives, leads astray”) produces a grammatically acceptable text. One may also supply by parallelism “…betrays lives.”

²⁵A truthful witness saves lives,
But one who ^(A)declares lies is ^[a]deceitful.

New English Translation (NET)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)