Pro 14:25 | NETfull | STEP | A truthful witness rescues lives, but the one who breathes lies brings deception.

Proverbs 14:25

25 A truthful witness ^{▼▼ Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”} rescues lives, ^{▼▼ The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (n^efashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives” – it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).} ^{▼▼ The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.}
but the one who breathes lies brings ^{▼▼ The term “brings” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Also possible, “is deceitful.”} deception. ^{▼▼ Several commentators suggest emending the text from the noun מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deception”) to the participle מְרַמֶּה (m^erameh, “destroys”). However, this revocalization is not necessary because the MT makes sense as it stands: A false witness destroys lives.}