The House of Wisdom

¹Every wise woman encourages and builds up her family,

but a foolish woman over time will tear it down by her own actions.

²Lovers of truth follow the right path

because of their wonderment and worship of God.

But the devious display their disdain for him.

³The words of a proud fool will all come back to haunt him.

But the words of the wise

will become a shield of protection around them.

⁴The only clean stable is an empty stable.

So if you want the work of an ox and to enjoy an abundant harvest,

you’ll have a mess or two to clean up!

⁵An honest witness will never lie,

but a deceitful witness lies with every breath.

⁶The intellectually arrogant seek for wisdom,

but they never seem to discover

what they claim they’re looking for.

For revelation-knowledge flows to the one

who hungers for understanding.

⁷The words of the wise are like weapons of knowledge.[#14:7 As translated from the Aramaic.]

If you need wise counsel, stay away from the fool.

⁸For the wisdom of the wise will keep life on the right track,

while the fool only deceives himself

and refuses to face reality.

⁹Fools mock the need for repentance,[#14:9 Or “Fools mock guilt [or guilt offering].” The Septuagint is “The house of the transgressor owes purification.”]

while the favor of God rests upon all his lovers.

¹⁰Don’t expect anyone else to fully understand

both the bitterness and the joys

of all you experience in your life.

¹¹The household of the wicked is soon torn apart,

while the family of the righteous flourishes.

¹²You can rationalize it all you want

and justify the path of error you have chosen,

but you’ll find out in the end that you took the road to destruction.

¹³Superficial laughter can hide a heavy heart,

but when the laughter ends, the pain resurfaces.

¹⁴Those who turn from the truth get what they deserve,

but a good person receives a sweet reward.

¹⁵A gullible person will believe anything,

but a sensible person will confirm the facts.

¹⁶A wise person is careful in all things and turns quickly from evil,

while the impetuous fool moves ahead with overconfidence.

¹⁷An impulsive person has a short fuse and can ruin everything,

but the wise show self-control.

¹⁸The naïve demonstrate a lack of wisdom,

but the lovers of wisdom are crowned with revelation-knowledge.

¹⁹Evil ones will pay tribute to good people

and eventually come to be servants of the godly.

²⁰The poor are disliked even by their neighbors,

but everyone wants to get close to the wealthy.

²¹It’s a sin to despise one who is less fortunate than you,[#14:21 Implied in the Hebrew parallelism. The Hebrew phrase here literally means “your neighbor.”]

but when you are kind to the poor,

you will prosper and be blessed.

²²Haven’t you noticed how evil schemers always wander astray?

But kindness and truth come to those

who make plans to be pure in all their ways.

²³If you work hard at what you do,

great abundance will come to you.

But merely talking about getting rich

while living to only pursue your pleasures

brings you face-to-face with poverty.

²⁴The true net worth of the wise is the wealth that wisdom imparts.[#14:24 Or “the crown of the wise.”]

But the way of life for the fool is his foolishness.

²⁵Speak the truth and you’ll save souls,

but in the spreading of lies treachery thrives.

²⁶Confidence and strength flood the hearts

of the lovers of God who live in awe of him,

and their devotion provides their children

with a place of shelter and security.

²⁷To worship God in wonder and awe

opens a fountain of life within you,

empowering you to escape death’s domain.

²⁸A king glories in the number of his loyal followers,

but a dwindling population spells ruin for any leader.

²⁹When your heart overflows with understanding

you’ll be very slow to get angry.

But if you have a quick temper,

your impatience will be quickly seen by all.

³⁰A tender, tranquil heart will make you healthy,[#14:30 Or “A heart of healing is the life of the flesh.”]

but jealousy can make you sick.

³¹Insult your Creator, will you?

That’s exactly what you do

every time you oppress the powerless!

Showing kindness to the poor is equal to honoring your maker.

³²The wicked are crushed by every calamity,

but the righteous find a strong hope

in the time of death.

³³Wisdom soothes the heart of the one with living-understanding,

but the heart of the fool just stockpiles stupidity.

³⁴A nation is exalted by the righteousness of its people,

but sin heaps disgrace upon the land.

³⁵A wise and faithful servant receives promotion from the king,

but the one who acts disgracefully

gets to taste the anger of the king.