Proverbs 17
1 Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
| ט֤וֹב פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב׃ |
2 A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
| עֶֽבֶד־מַשְׂכִּ֗יל יִ֭מְשֹׁל בְּבֵ֣ן מֵבִ֑ישׁ וּבְת֥וֹךְ אַ֝חִ֗ים יַחֲלֹ֥ק נַחֲלָֽה׃ |
3 A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
| מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבּ֣וֹת יְהוָֽה׃ |
4 An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
| מֵ֭רַע מַקְשִׁ֣יב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָ֑וֶן שֶׁ֥קֶר מֵ֝זִין עַל־לְשׁ֥וֹן הַוֺּֽת׃ |
5 Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
| לֹעֵ֣ג לָ֭רָשׁ חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ שָׂמֵ֥חַ לְ֝אֵ֗יד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃ |
6 Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
| עֲטֶ֣רֶת זְ֭קֵנִים בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְתִפְאֶ֖רֶת בָּנִ֣ים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ |
7 A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
| לֹא־נָאוָ֣ה לְנָבָ֣ל שְׂפַת־יֶ֑תֶר אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־לְנָדִ֥יב שְׂפַת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ |
8 A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
| אֶֽבֶן־חֵ֣ן הַ֭שֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ |
9 Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
| מְֽכַסֶּה־פֶּ֭שַׁע מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה וְשֹׁנֶ֥ה בְ֝דָבָ֗ר מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃ |
10 Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
| תֵּ֣חַת גְּעָרָ֣ה בְמֵבִ֑ין מֵהַכּ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל מֵאָֽה׃ |
11 An evil man seeks only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
| אַךְ־מְרִ֥י יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־בּֽוֹ׃ |
12 The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
| פָּג֬וֹשׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל בְּאִ֑ישׁ וְאַל־כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ |
13 Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
| מֵשִׁ֣יב רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה לֹא־תמיש רָ֝עָ֗ה מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ |
14 The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
| פּ֣וֹטֵֽר מַ֭יִם רֵאשִׁ֣ית מָד֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע הָרִ֥יב נְטֽוֹשׁ׃ |
15 Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
| מַצְדִּ֣יק רָ֭שָׁע וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ צַדִּ֑יק תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ |
16 Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
| לָמָּה־זֶּ֣ה מְחִ֣יר בְּיַד־כְּסִ֑יל לִקְנ֖וֹת חָכְמָ֣ה וְלֶב־אָֽיִן׃ |
17 The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
| בְּכָל־עֵ֭ת אֹהֵ֣ב הָרֵ֑עַ וְאָ֥ח לְ֝צָרָ֗ה יִוָּלֵֽד׃ |
18 A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
| אָדָ֣ם חֲסַר־לֵ֭ב תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף עֹרֵ֥ב עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה לִפְנֵ֥י רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ |
19 Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
| אֹ֣הֵֽב פֶּ֭שַׁע אֹהֵ֣ב מַצָּ֑ה מַגְבִּ֥יהַּ פִּ֝תְח֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָֽׁבֶר׃ |
20 The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
| עִקֶּשׁ־לֵ֭ב לֹ֣א יִמְצָא־ט֑וֹב וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְ בִּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ יִפּ֥וֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃ |
21 Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
| יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה ל֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃ |
22 A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
| לֵ֣ב שָׂ֭מֵחַ יֵיטִ֣ב גֵּהָ֑ה וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּֽרֶם׃ |
23 The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
| שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵיק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ |
24 The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end of the earth.
| אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י מֵבִ֣ין חָכְמָ֑ה וְעֵינֵ֥י כְ֝סִ֗יל בִּקְצֵה־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
25 A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
| כַּ֣עַס לְ֭אָבִיו בֵּ֣ן כְּסִ֑יל וּ֝מֶ֗מֶר לְיוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃ |
26 Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
| גַּ֤ם עֲנ֣וֹשׁ לַצַּדִּ֣יק לֹא־ט֑וֹב לְהַכּ֖וֹת נְדִיבִ֣ים עַל־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ |
27 One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
| חוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו יוֹדֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת וקר ־ר֝֗וּחַ אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ |
28 Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
| גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֽוֹן׃ |
