14:24

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

24a
The crown of the wise is their wealth,

24b but the effort of fools is folly.

14:24a

The crown of the wise is their wealth: There is a textual difference here:

(1) The Masoretic Text has: “The crown of the wise is their wealth.” This means that wise people are crowned/rewarded with wealth. For example:

Wise people are rewarded with wealth (Good News Translation)

(2) The LXX has a word meaning “prudence” instead of “wealth.” So some scholars think that the original text was: “The crown of the wise is their prudence.” For example:

The crown of the wise is their wisdom (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. The MT makes good sense as it is. Other proverbs (such as 3:16, 8:18) also describe riches as a reward that comes from having wisdom.

In Hebrew, the word order of 14:24a is as in the Berean Standard Bible. Some versions change the word order. For example:

24a Their wealth is the crown of the wise (Revised English Bible)
-or-
24a The wealth of the wise is their crown (New International Version)

You may use either of these word orders. There is little difference in meaning.

14:24b

but the effort of fools is folly: There is a textual issue in this line:

(1) The Masoretic Text has: “The folly (ʾiwwelet) of fools (kǝsilim) ⌊is⌋ folly (ʾiwwelet).” This means that the foolish behavior of fools consists or results in nothing but foolishness itself. For example:

The stupidity of fools is just that—stupidity! (God’s Word)

(2) Some scholars think that instead of the first instance of Hebrew ʾiwwelet (“folly”), the original text was liwyat (“wreath” or “garland”). The line would then have: “The wreath/garland of fools is folly.” This would provide a better parallel to “crown” in 14:24a. For example:

but folly is the garland of fools (New Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions and scholars. Inexact contrasts are common in Proverbs, so that in itself is not enough reason to propose a different Hebrew text. Also, the word “garland/wreath” occurs in positive contexts elsewhere in Proverbs (1:9 and 4:9). It is not used in describing fools.

Some other ways to express the meaning of this line are:

the effort of fools yields only foolishness (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
but foolishness leads to more foolishness (Contemporary English Version)

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