Proverbs 21
1 The Lord directs the king's decisions like a stream of water that he sends whichever way he wants.
ὥσπερ ὁρμὴ ὕδατος οὕτως καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ θεοῦ οὗ ἐὰν θέλων νεύσῃ ἐκεῖ ἔκλινεν αὐτήν
2 People think that whatever they do is fine, but the Lord looks at their motives.
πᾶς ἀνὴρ φαίνεται ἑαυτῷ δίκαιος κατευθύνει δὲ καρδίας κύριος
3 Doing what's right and fair pleases the Lord more than sacrifices.
ποιεῖν δίκαια καὶ ἀληθεύειν ἀρεστὰ παρὰ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα
4 Pride and arrogance are the sins the wicked live by.
μεγαλόφρων ἐφ’ ὕβρει θρασυκάρδιος λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἁμαρτία
5 Those who plan ahead and work hard will have plenty, while those who act rashly end up poor.
6 Money made by lies is like smoke in the wind—a chase that ends in death.
ὁ ἐνεργῶν θησαυρίσματα γλώσσῃ ψευδεῖ μάταια διώκει ἐπὶ παγίδας θανάτου
7 The destruction caused by the wicked will destroy them, for they refuse to do what's right.
ὄλεθρος ἀσεβέσιν ἐπιξενωθήσεται οὐ γὰρ βούλονται πράσσειν τὰ δίκαια
8 Guilty people live crooked lives, but the innocent follow straight paths.
πρὸς τοὺς σκολιοὺς σκολιὰς ὁδοὺς ἀποστέλλει ὁ θεός ἁγνὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ
9 It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ
10 Evil people love to do wrong, they don't care what pain they cause anyone.
ψυχὴ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἐλεηθήσεται ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων
11 When a mocker is punished, an immature person can learn wisdom. When the wise are educated, they gain knowledge.
ζημιουμένου ἀκολάστου πανουργότερος γίνεται ὁ ἄκακος συνίων δὲ σοφὸς δέξεται γνῶσιν
12 The God of justice sees what happens in the homes of the wicked, and brings the wicked down in disaster.
συνίει δίκαιος καρδίας ἀσεβῶν καὶ φαυλίζει ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κακοῖς
13 If you refuse to hear the cries of the poor, your cries won't be heard either.
ὃς φράσσει τὰ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἐπακοῦσαι ἀσθενοῦς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπικαλέσεται καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ εἰσακούων
14 A gift given in secret calms down anger, and a hidden bribe soothes furious rage.
δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν
15 When justice is done, the good are happy, but it brings terror to those who do evil.
εὐφροσύνη δικαίων ποιεῖν κρίμα ὅσιος δὲ ἀκάθαρτος παρὰ κακούργοις
16 Anyone who wanders away from the path of understanding ends up with the dead.
ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται
17 If you love pleasure you'll become poor; if you love wine and olive oil you won't ever be rich.
ἀνὴρ ἐνδεὴς ἀγαπᾷ εὐφροσύνην φιλῶν οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον εἰς πλοῦτον
18 The wicked pay the price and not the good; those who are deceitful and not those who live right.
περικάθαρμα δὲ δικαίου ἄνομος
19 It's better to live in a desert than with an argumentative and bad-tempered wife.
κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ ὀργίλου
20 The wise hold on to their wealth and olive oil, but stupid people use up everything they have.
θησαυρὸς ἐπιθυμητὸς ἀναπαύσεται ἐπὶ στόματος σοφοῦ ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες καταπίονται αὐτόν
21 If you pursue goodness and trustworthy love, you'll find life, prosperity, and honor.
ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν
22 The wise can overcome a city belonging to strong warriors, and tear down the fortress they trusted to protect them.
πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς καὶ καθεῖλεν τὸ ὀχύρωμα ἐφ’ ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς
23 If you watch what you say, you can save yourself a lot of trouble.
ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ
24 A proud, conceited, mocker—that's the name of those who act with insolent arrogance.
θρασὺς καὶ αὐθάδης καὶ ἀλαζὼν λοιμὸς καλεῖται ὃς δὲ μνησικακεῖ παράνομος
25 Slackers die hungry because they refuse to work.
ἐπιθυμίαι ὀκνηρὸν ἀποκτείνουσιν οὐ γὰρ προαιροῦνται αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν τι
26 Some people only want more and more all the time, but the good give generously.
ἀσεβὴς ἐπιθυμεῖ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιθυμίας κακάς ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐλεᾷ καὶ οἰκτίρει ἀφειδῶς
27 The sacrifices given by the wicked are obnoxious, worse still when they're offered with evil motives.
θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα κυρίῳ καὶ γὰρ παρανόμως προσφέρουσιν αὐτάς
28 The lies of a false witness vanish away, but the words of a reliable witness will stand.
μάρτυς ψευδὴς ἀπολεῖται ἀνὴρ δὲ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει
29 The wicked act as bold as brass, but those who live right consider carefully what they're doing.
ἀσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀναιδῶς ὑφίσταται προσώπῳ ὁ δὲ εὐθὴς αὐτὸς συνίει τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ
30 Whatever wisdom, understanding, or guidance you may have is nothing before the Lord.
οὐκ ἔστιν σοφία οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνδρεία οὐκ ἔστιν βουλὴ πρὸς τὸν ἀσεβῆ
31 You can get your horse ready for battle, but the victory is the Lord's.
ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου παρὰ δὲ κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια
