Proverbs 21
1 As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it wherever he may desire to point out.
Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
2 Every man seems to himself righteous; but the Lord directs the hearts.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 To do justly and to speak truth, are more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 A high-minded man is stout-hearted in [his] pride; and the lamp of the wicked is sin.
Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity [on] to the snares of death.
Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
7 Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly; for they refuse to do justly.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 To the froward God sends froward ways; for his works are pure and right.
Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
9 [It is] better to dwell in a corner on the house-top, than in plastered [rooms] with unrighteousness, and in an open house.
It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
10 The soul of the ungodly shall not be pitied by any man.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 When an intemperate man is punished the simple becomes wiser: and a wise man understanding will receive knowledge.
When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
12 A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly: and despises the ungodly for their wickedness.
[God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
13 He that stops his ears from hearing the poor, himself also shall cry, and there shall be none to hear [him].
There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
14 A secret gift calms anger: but he that forbears to give stirs up strong wrath.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 [It is] the joy of the righteous to do judgement: but a holy [man] is abominable with evil-doers.
Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
16 A man that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of giants.
Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
17 A poor man loves mirth, loving wine and oil in abundance;
Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
18 and a transgressor is the abomination of a righteous man.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 [It is] better to dwell in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and talkative and passionate woman.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 A desirable treasure will rest on the mouth of the wise; but foolish men will swallow it up.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 A wise man assaults strong cities, and demolishes the fortress in which the ungodly trusted.
A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
23 He that keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from trouble.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 A bold and self-willed and insolent [man] is called a pest: and he that remembers injuries is a transgressor.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 An ungodly man entertains evil desires all the day: but the righteous is unsparingly merciful and compassionate.
All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
27 The sacrifices of the ungodly are abomination to the Lord, for they offer them wickedly.
[Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
28 A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 An ungodly man impudently withstands with his face; but the upright man himself understands his ways.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 There is no wisdom, there is no courage, there is no counsel against the ungodly.
[Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
31 A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but help is of the Lord.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
