complete verse (Proverbs 14:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Foolish people think that sin is a joke/game,
    but the righteous, they like (people) to love one another.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Fools have no concern about their sins.
    Good people want their sins
    to be forgiven.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “As-if nothing with the fools if they sin, but with the righteous men who live rightly, they want that God will-accept them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The foolish-ones, they do not care-about suffering-the-consequences/paying-for their sins/crimes, but the righteous/just, they show their good thoughts/attitudes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Foolish people make fun of their committing sins;
    but God is pleased with those who do what is right.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:9

Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation show in their footnotes that this verse is unclear in Hebrew.

“God scorns the wicked”: This line is literally “Guilt [or, a guilt offering] scorns fools” or “Fools scorn guilt [or, a guilt offering].” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the Hebrew text for this line as “A.” The Revised Standard Version rendering involves changing the words for “fools” into a somewhat similar word meaning “God” and the word for “guilt” into one meaning “wicked”. New Revised Standard Version has changed the Revised Standard Version rendering to “Fools mock at the guilt offering” and recognizes the uncertainty of the Hebrew text in its note.

The variations in the translation of line 1 are almost as numerous as the translations themselves. A comparison of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation illustrates this point. The word translated “guilt” or “guilt offering” in the literal rendering above occurs nowhere else in Proverbs or even in the rest of the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. However, if “guilt” is taken in the sense of sin, it would seem that this line may be understood as expressing the way fools look at sin, “Fools scorn [make fun of, mock] sin.” So Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “Fools make fun of their sin.” Contemporary English Version says “Fools don’t care if they are wrong.” For a somewhat similar rendering see Good News Translation.

“But the upright enjoy his favor”: This line is literally “but among the upright [is] favor.” “Upright”, which refers to honest, good people, was first used in 2.7. “His” is not represented in the Hebrew. “Favor” renders a word first used in 8.35 and refers to “pleasure,” “acceptance,” or “goodwill.” Revised Standard Version has assumed that “favor” is God’s favor. The Good News Translation rendering “forgiven” may also assume that it is God’s favor, as does Contemporary English Version, “but God is pleased when people do right,” which is a satisfactory model translation of this line.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:9

14:9

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

9a
Fools mock the making of amends,

9b but goodwill is found among the upright.

14:9a

Fools mock the making of amends: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the making of amends is a noun that usually means “guilt offering” or “guilt.” There are two main ways to interpret this line:

(1) Fools scorn the need to make a guilt or reparation offering for sin. For example:

Fools mock at the sacrifice for sin (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Fools mock at the guilt offering (English Standard Version)

See Leviticus 5:1–6 for a description of the reparation offering.

(2) Fools mock at guilt/sin. For example:

Foolish people don’t care if they sin (Good News Translation)
-or-
Stubborn fools make fun of guilt (God’s Word)

The Display follows interpretation (1), but you may follow either interpretation. Both are well supported.

If you follow interpretation (1), you may find it awkward to specify a “guilt offering.” If that is true in your language, you may use a phrase that refers instead to making amends. You do not need to specify an offering, since Proverbs does not elsewhere mention the Levitical offerings. For example:

Fools mock at reparation (NET Bible)
-or-
Fools are too arrogant to make amends (Revised English Bible)

Fools: In Hebrew, this word for Fools implies insolence and stubbornness.

14:9b

but goodwill is found among the upright: In Hebrew, this line is literally “between/among upright ⌊people⌋ ⌊is⌋ favor.” There are three ways to interpret who shows favor to whom:

(1) The upright show favor to each other. They make amends if they wrong each other. They also act in a way that results in mutual acceptance and goodwill. For example:

the upright know what reconciliation requires (Revised English Bible)

(2) God shows favor to the upright. He is pleased by their good conduct. For example:

but the upright enjoy God’s favor (New Revised Standard Version)

(3) Being an upright person involves forgiveness. For example:

but good people want to be forgiven (Good News Translation)

It is not clear whether the Good News Translation means “forgiven by God” or “forgiven by those they have wronged.” The God’s Word is similarly ambiguous.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most scholars. This interpretation provides a good parallel with 14:9a. The idea of mutual goodwill also fits better with the phrase “between/among the upright.”

goodwill: This word refers to acceptance, favor, or good relations.

upright: This word refers to people whose conduct is fair, honest, and straightforward. See the note on 11:3a.

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