箴言 17
1 乾餅一張而平安共食，勝於滿屋佳餚而互相爭吵。
Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
2 聰明的僕人必能管治任性的兒子，且可與弟兄們共分產業。
A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
3 鍋煉銀，爐煉金，上主煉人心。
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
4 奸詐的人，愛聽胡言亂語；說謊的人，輕信是非長短。
An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
5 嘲笑窮人的是凌辱他的造主；幸災樂禍的，必不能脫免懲罰。
Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
6 孫兒是老人的冠冕，父親是兒女的光榮。
Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
7 優雅的言詞，不適宜於愚人；虛偽的狂語，更不宜於君王。
A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
8 賄賂在饋贈者眼中，有如寶石；不論他要轉向何方，無往不利。
A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
9 掩飾他人的過錯，可獲得友愛；屢念舊日的過惡，則離間友誼。
Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
10 對明智人一句指責，勝過對愚昧人百次杖擊。
Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
11 暴徒只求叛亂，但有殘酷使者，奉命前來對付。
An evil man seeks only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
12 寧願遇見失掉幼子的母熊，不願逢著正在發狂的愚人。
The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
13 誰以怨報德，災禍必不離開他的家。
Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
14 爭論的開端，如水之破堤；在激辯之前，應極加制止。
The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
15 宣判罪人無罪，判定義人有罪：二者同為上主所憎惡。
Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
16 愚昧的人，既沒有頭腦，手執金錢買智慧，又何益之有﹖
Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
17 朋友平時常相愛，唯在難中見兄弟。
The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
18 常為人擊掌作保，實是個無知之徒。
A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
19 好爭辯的人，實喜愛罪過；高舉門戶的，必自趨滅亡。
Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
20 誰存心欺詐，不會得幸福；誰搬弄是非，必陷於災禍。
The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
21 生糊塗孩子的，只有悲哀；糊塗人的父親，毫無樂趣。
Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
22 愉快的心，是良好的治療；神志憂鬱，能使筋骨枯萎。
A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
23 惡人在大衣下受賄賂，是為顛倒正義的判詞。
The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
24 精明的人，常面向智慧；愚者的眼，向地極呆望，
The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end of the earth.
25 愚昧的兒子，是他父親的痛苦，是他生母的憂傷。
A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
26 科罰無辜，已屬不當；杖責君子，更屬不義。
Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
27 智者必沉默寡言，達人必心神鎮定。
One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
28 愚人不發言，亦可充作智者；若謹口慎言，亦可視為哲人。
Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
