This saying again contrasts the state of persons who are happy with that of those who are unhappy.
“All the days of the afflicted are evil”: “Afflicted” renders the word translated “poor” in 14.21. The word is used elsewhere as meaning “bowed down” whether through misfortune or mistreatment. Other senses are “humbled,” “weak,” or “pious.” New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version to say “poor,” which is also the rendering of Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and others. Bible en français courant and Traduction Œcuménique de la Bible say “unfortunate,” New International Version “oppressed,” New English Bible/Revised English Bible “downtrodden,” and Scott “miserable.” “Evil” translates the same Hebrew word rendered “severe” in verse 10. “Evil” in relation to “all the days” refers to a difficult, hard, or troublesome life. The clear sense of this line is “Poor people live a hard life” or “The life of the poor is harsh.”
“But a cheerful heart has a continual feast”: This line refers to people who are happy. There are two main ways to understand what it says: (1) that “cheerful heart” parallels and contrasts with “the afflicted” who suffer a hard life (that is, it refers to a different group of people); or (2) that in spite of being poor, “a cheerful heart” enables poor people (those referred to in the previous line) to enjoy life. Both understandings are acceptable. Bible en français courant follows the first view: “The unfortunate person lives always in suffering. The happy person lives in a constant feast.” Translated according to the second view we may say, for example, “Although the life of the poor is lived in suffering, a happy heart makes life like a constant feast” or “A person who is short of everything feels no good and always has big troubles. But if he is contented and happy, every day is like a party day.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .