1 Every wise woman builds her house, i
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands. j
2 Whoever lives with integrity fears the LORD, k
but the one who is devious in his ways despises him. l
3 The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline,
but the lips of the wise protect them. m
4 Where there are no oxen, the feeding trough is empty,
but an abundant harvest comes through the strength of an ox.
5 An honest witness does not deceive,
but a dishonest witness utters lies. n
6 A mocker seeks wisdom and doesn’t find it,
but knowledge comes easily to the perceptive.
7 Stay away from a foolish person;
you will gain no knowledge from his speech. o
8 The sensible person’s wisdom is to consider his way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.
9 Fools mock at making reparation,
but there is goodwill among the upright.
10 The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no outsider shares in its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish. p
12 There is a way that seems right to a person, q
but its end is the way to death. r
13 Even in laughter a heart may be sad,
and joy may end in grief. s
14 The disloyal one will get what his conduct deserves,
and a good one, what his deeds deserve. t
15 The inexperienced one believes anything, u
but the sensible one watches his steps.
16 A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, v
but a fool is easily angered and is careless.
17 A quick-tempered person acts foolishly,
and one who schemes is hated. w
18 The inexperienced inherit foolishness,
but the sensible are crowned with knowledge.
19 The evil bow before those who are good,
and the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.
20 A poor person is hated even by his neighbor, x
but there are many who love the rich. y
21 The one who despises his neighbor sins, z
but whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy. a
22 Don’t those who plan evil go astray? b
But those who plan good find loyalty and faithfulness. c
23 There is profit in all hard work,
but endless talk leads only to poverty. d
24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the foolishness of fools produces foolishness.
25 A truthful witness rescues lives,
but one who utters lies is deceitful. e
26 In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence
and his children have a refuge. f
27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
turning people away from the snares of death. g
28 A large population is a king’s splendor,
but a shortage of people is a ruler’s devastation.
29 A patient person shows great understanding, h
but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.
30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, i
but jealousy is rottenness to the bones. j
31 The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, k
but one who is kind to the needy honors him. l
32 The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, m
but the righteous one has a refuge in his death. n
33 Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning; o
she is known even among fools.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people. p
35 A king favors a prudent servant, q
but his anger falls on a disgraceful one.
14:1–7. The opening clause of chapter 14 (14:1a) echoes 9:1. It is followed by the first of three occurrences of the fear of the Lord in the chapter (14:2, 26–27). One’s conduct reflects one’s attitude toward God (14:2). Wise behavior is constructive; folly is destructive (14:1, 3). Proverbs 14:4 offers a homey illustration of how one wisely builds a house: without oxen there is less cleanup work to do in the barn, but less harvested grain as well.
14:8–15. This section addresses self-perception and self-deception. The prudent perceive where they are heading, while fools do not have a clue (14:8). Mockers do not even take sin (and the resultant need to make amends) seriously, while the upright do and receive (divine) approval (14:9). One can be equally clueless about another person’s private pains and pleasures and their commingling (14:10, 13, both with “heart”). Proverbs 14:11 is linked to its context by the word “upright” (cf. 14:9) and its use of the house motif (cf. 14:1). It also reflects the seamless alternation (and virtual equation) of wisdom/folly and righteousness/wickedness in Proverbs.
14:16–18. Verse 15 also introduces the next development in thought. In carefully considering their steps, the wise display their reverence for God by making a wide detour around evil (14:16a; cf. 3:7; 4:27). Fools, however, exhibit reckless, uncontrolled behavior, which is conduct the uncorrected, naive person naturally inherits (14:16b–18a; cf. 14:15a). The sensible, in contrast, easily acquire knowledge to augment their skill set for dealing with life’s challenges (14:18b; cf. 14:6b, 15b).
14:19–24. This section initially describes two unexpected attitudes (see “evil . . . good” in 14:19, 22). The wicked bow down before the righteous, though probably against their will (14:19), and the poor are hated even by their peers, while many love the rich, though probably for questionable reasons (14:20). Such an attitude toward the needy merits condemnation as sin, since they of all people deserve kind treatment (14:21). Those who, in fact, “plan good” will both practice and experience steadfast love (“loyalty and faithfulness,” Hb hesed and emet; 14:22; cf. 3:3; 16:6). But merely planning good (i.e., “endless talk”) accomplishes little—no pain, no gain (14:23). Accumulated wealth is a crowning achievement for the wise (cf. 14:18, 35), while all that fools multiply is folly (14:24).
14:25–27. Life-and-death matters are addressed in these verses. Proverbs 14:25 affirms the lifesaving power of a truthful witness in a capital case (cf. 14:5 in the context of speech), while a proverbial pair describes three metaphorical benefits of reverence for God (14:26–27). It provides a secure fortress to protect one’s children and a life-giving fountain (cf. 13:14), while keeping one from deadly snares, since those who fear God will avoid both evil and divine punishment and will experience God’s favor and blessing. Verses 30 and 32 also concern life and death.
14:28–35. These verses are framed by national concerns: the value of a large population (14:28), the even greater value of a righteous population (14:34), and the king’s understandably strong response to a servant’s shameful actions (14:35). The intervening proverbs could then be taken as describing some of those shameful actions (as well as their opposites). Short-temperedness, envy, and oppression of the poor, as expressing contempt for one’s Maker and refuge (14:29–32), are juxtaposed with patience, tranquility, and kindness to the needy (cf. 14:21), and wisdom so striking that even fools—and the king—take note (14:33; cf. 14:35a).