< Proverbs 17 >

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

< Proverbs 17 >