Veritable King James Version
1A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her hands.
2Whoever walks uprightly fears the Lord, but the devious in their ways despise Him.
3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise preserve them.
4Without oxen, a stall is clean, but abundant harvests come by the strength of the ox.
5A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies.
6A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7Stay away from a fool, for you will find no knowledge on their lips.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to discern their way, but the folly of fools is deceit.
9Fools mock at making amends, but goodwill is found among the upright.
10The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
11The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death.
13Even in laughter, the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.
14The faithless will be filled with their own ways, but a good person is satisfied from within.
15The simple believe everything, but the prudent consider their steps.
16The wise fear and turn from evil, but a fool is reckless and confident.
17A quick-tempered person acts foolishly, and a schemer is hated.
18The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.
21Whoever despises their neighbor sins, but blessed is the one who shows mercy to the poor.
22Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan good find love and truth.
23All hard work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.
24The wealth of the wise is their crown, but the folly of fools is folly.
25A truthful witness saves lives, but a liar betrays them.
26In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and His children find refuge.
27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people from the snares of death.
28A large population is a king’s glory, but without people, a ruler is ruined.
29A patient person shows great understanding, but a quick-tempered one displays folly.
30A tranquil heart gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
31Whoever oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
32The wicked are overthrown by their evil, but the righteous find refuge in their integrity.
33Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning, but among fools it is not known.
34Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
35A king’s favor is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against one who causes shame. Proverbs 15 The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 15 – VKJV
Translation notes
Verse 1’s chokmot nashim (“wise women”) is rendered inclusively as “woman” in context, emphasizing individual agency; “builds” (banetah) and “tears down” (harasah) contrast constructive versus destructive actions. Verse 2’s “fears the Lord” (yare YHWH) reflects covenantal reverence, with “devious” (luz) implying moral crookedness; cross-reference Psalm 111:10. Verse 3’s “rod of pride” (choter ga’avah) metaphorically depicts self-destructive arrogance, while “preserve” (shamar) suggests protection through wisdom. Verse 4’s “oxen” (alaphim) and “abundant harvests” (tebu’ot) highlight practical wisdom in labor; no direct cross-reference, but see Ecclesiastes 5:9 for agricultural themes. Verse 5’s “breathes out lies” (yaphiach kazab) conveys habitual deceit, contrasting with covenantal truthfulness (cf. Exodus 20:16). No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants (e.g., 4QProv) affect this section, affirming Masoretic Text reliability.
Verse 6’s “scoffer” (letz) denotes one who mocks wisdom, contrasted with “discerning” (navon), who readily grasps knowledge; cross-reference Proverbs 1:22. Verse 7’s “stay away” (lek mnegd) advises avoiding fools due to their lack of insight. Verse 8’s “discern their way” (habin darko) emphasizes prudent planning, while “deceit” (mirmat) characterizes folly; theologically, this reflects wisdom’s moral clarity (cf. Proverbs 3:6). Verse 9’s “mock at making amends” translates asham yalitsu, where asham (guilt offering) implies reparative action, rejected by fools; “goodwill” (ratson) among the upright suggests divine favor (cf. Psalm 5:12). Verse 10’s “heart knows” (lev yodea) underscores personal emotional experience, with no direct Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 11’s “house” (bayit) versus “tent” (ohel) contrasts permanence with humility; “flourish” (parach) suggests vibrant growth (cf. Psalm 92:12–13). Verse 12’s “seems right” (yashar) warns of deceptive self-reliance, with “death” (mavet) as moral consequence; cross-reference Proverbs 16:25. Verse 13’s “ache” (ka’av) and “grief” (tugah) highlight emotional complexity. Verse 14’s “faithless” (sug lev, lit. “backsliding heart”) contrasts with “good person” (tov), whose satisfaction is internal; theologically, this reflects divine reward (cf. Psalm 37:4). Verse 15’s “simple” (pethi) denotes naivety, while “prudent” (arum) implies careful discernment; cross-reference Proverbs 22:3. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 16’s “fear” (yare) implies reverence for God, leading to moral caution; “reckless” (ragaz) suggests impulsive folly. Verse 17’s “quick-tempered” (qetser ruach, lit. “short of spirit”) and “schemer” (ish mezimot) denote destructive traits; cross-reference Proverbs 12:16. Verse 18’s “inherit folly” (nachalu evvil) contrasts with “crowned with knowledge” (kitru da’at), a metaphor for wisdom’s honor (cf. Proverbs 3:35). Verse 19’s “bow” (shachah) and “gates” evoke submission and justice; theologically, this reflects divine vindication (cf. Isaiah 45:23). Verse 20’s “shunned” (sane) and “friends” (ohavim) highlight social dynamics, not moral approval; cross-reference Proverbs 19:4. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 21’s “despises” (bazah) implies contempt, a sin against covenantal love; “mercy” (chanan) aligns with divine compassion (cf. Leviticus 19:18). Verse 22’s “plot evil” (choreshe ra) contrasts with “plan good” (choreshe tov), yielding “love and truth” (chesed ve’emet); cross-reference Psalm 25:10. Verse 23’s “profit” (mothar) and “poverty” (machsor) emphasize diligence versus idleness; cf. Proverbs 10:4. Verse 24’s “crown” (ateret) symbolizes honor through wisdom, with “folly” (ivvelet) as its own reward. Verse 25’s “saves lives” reflects the power of truth (emet) in justice; cross-reference Proverbs 12:17. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
Verse 26’s “fear of the Lord” (yirat YHWH) is a source of “confidence” (bitachon) and “refuge” (machseh); “His children” is inclusive, reflecting covenant community (cf. Psalm 46:1). Verse 27’s “fountain of life” (maqor chayyim) and “snares of death” (moqeshe mavet) emphasize wisdom’s protective role; cross-reference Proverbs 13:14. Verse 28’s “large population” (rov am) and “ruined” (mechittah) highlight societal strength. Verse 29’s “patient” (erekh appayim, lit. “long of nose”) contrasts with “quick-tempered” (qetser ruach); cf. Proverbs 15:18. Verse 30’s “tranquil heart” (lev marpe) and “envy rots the bones” (qin’ah raqev atzamot) depict emotional health’s physical impact; cross-reference Proverbs 3:8. No significant Dead Sea Scrolls variants noted.
Verse 31’s “insults their Maker” (cheraf otzro) ties oppression to dishonoring God, while “gracious” (chanan) reflects divine compassion; cross-reference Proverbs 17:5. Verse 32’s “refuge in integrity” (machseh be’tummo) highlights righteousness as protection; cf. Psalm 7:10. Verse 33’s “rests” (tanuach) suggests wisdom’s settled presence in the discerning (navon), contrasted with fools’ ignorance. Verse 34’s “exalts” (romem) and “disgrace” (chesed, used ironically for sin’s shame) reflect national morality’s impact; cross-reference Leviticus 26:14–39. Verse 35’s “wise servant” (eved maskil) and “causes shame” (mevish) underscore royal justice; cf. Proverbs 10:5. No notable Dead Sea Scrolls variants affect this section.
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