< Proverbs 12 >

1 Those who want to know [what is right to do] want to be (disciplined/corrected) when they do what is wrong; it is foolish to not want to be (corrected/told that what you did is wrong).
אֹהֵ֣ב מ֭וּסָר אֹ֣הֵֽב דָּ֑עַת וְשֹׂנֵ֖א תוֹכַ֣חַת בָּֽעַר׃
2 Yahweh is pleased with good people, but he condemns those who plan to harm [others].
ט֗וֹב יָפִ֣יק רָ֭צוֹן מֵיְהוָ֑ה וְאִ֖ישׁ מְזִמּ֣וֹת יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃
3 People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked; righteous [people] will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.
לֹא־יִכּ֣וֹן אָדָ֣ם בְּרֶ֑שַׁע וְשֹׁ֥רֶשׁ צַ֝דִּיקִ֗ים בַּל־יִמּֽוֹט׃
4 A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored, but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed [will destroy him] like [SIM] cancer [destroys] his bones.
אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל עֲטֶ֣רֶת בַּעְלָ֑הּ וּכְרָקָ֖ב בְּעַצְמוֹתָ֣יו מְבִישָֽׁה׃
5 What righteous [people] want to do is [to treat people] fairly; what wicked [people] want to do is to deceive people.
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת צַדִּיקִ֣ים מִשְׁפָּ֑ט תַּחְבֻּל֖וֹת רְשָׁעִ֣ים מִרְמָֽה׃
6 What wicked [people] say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people [who pass by], but what righteous [people] say [MTY] rescues those whom [wicked people threaten to harm].
דִּבְרֵ֣י רְשָׁעִ֣ים אֱרָב־דָּ֑ם וּפִ֥י יְ֝שָׁרִ֗ים יַצִּילֵֽם׃
7 Wicked [people] will die [before they become old and we will see] them no more, but righteous people will live [for many years] and have many descendants.
הָפ֣וֹךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים וְאֵינָ֑ם וּבֵ֖ית צַדִּיקִ֣ים יַעֲמֹֽד׃
8 [People will] praise those who have good sense, but [people will] despise those (who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted).
לְֽפִי־שִׂ֭כְלוֹ יְהֻלַּל־אִ֑ישׁ וְנַעֲוֵה־לֵ֝֗ב יִהְיֶ֥ה לָבֽוּז׃
9 It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.
ט֣וֹב נִ֭קְלֶה וְעֶ֣בֶד ל֑וֹ מִ֝מְּתַכַּבֵּ֗ד וַחֲסַר־לָֽחֶם׃
10 Righteous people take care of their domestic animals, but wicked people act cruelly [toward their animals].
יוֹדֵ֣עַ צַ֭דִּיק נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ וְֽרַחֲמֵ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים אַכְזָרִֽי׃
11 Farmers who work hard in their fields will [produce good crops] that will give them plenty to eat, but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.
עֹבֵ֣ד אַ֭דְמָתוֹ יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־לָ֑חֶם וּמְרַדֵּ֖ף רֵיקִ֣ים חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃
12 Wicked [people] desire to take away what [other] evil people have, but [Yahweh] enables righteous/godly [people] to be steadfast and productive [MET].
חָמַ֣ד רָ֭שָׁע מְצ֣וֹד רָעִ֑ים וְשֹׁ֖רֶשׁ צַדִּיקִ֣ים יִתֵּֽן׃
13 Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY], but righteous [people] escape from trouble.
בְּפֶ֣שַׁע שְׂ֭פָתַיִם מוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָ֑ע וַיֵּצֵ֖א מִצָּרָ֣ה צַדִּֽיק׃
14 People are rewarded for [the good things] that they say [to others], and people are [also] rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].
מִפְּרִ֣י פִי־אִ֭ישׁ יִשְׂבַּע־ט֑וֹב וּגְמ֥וּל יְדֵי־אָ֝דָ֗ם ישוב לֽוֹ׃
15 Foolish people [always] think that what they are doing is right; wise people heed [other people when they give them good] advice.
דֶּ֣רֶךְ אֱ֭וִיל יָשָׁ֣ר בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְשֹׁמֵ֖עַ לְעֵצָ֣ה חָכָֽם׃
16 Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like; but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.
אֱוִ֗יל בַּ֭יּוֹם יִוָּדַ֣ע כַּעְס֑וֹ וְכֹסֶ֖ה קָל֣וֹן עָרֽוּם׃
17 [In the courtroom], honest people say what is true, but untruthful/dishonest people tell [nothing but] lies.
יָפִ֣יחַ אֱ֭מוּנָה יַגִּ֣יד צֶ֑דֶק וְעֵ֖ד שְׁקָרִ֣ים מִרְמָֽה׃
18 What some people say [hurts people badly], as much as [SIM] a sword can; but what wise [people] say (heals [others’ souls]/comforts others).
יֵ֣שׁ בּ֭וֹטֶה כְּמַדְקְר֣וֹת חָ֑רֶב וּלְשׁ֖וֹן חֲכָמִ֣ים מַרְפֵּֽא׃
19 When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM]; but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.
שְֽׂפַת־אֱ֭מֶת תִּכּ֣וֹן לָעַ֑ד וְעַד־אַ֝רְגִּ֗יעָה לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃
20 Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive [others], but things will go well for those who plan [to do] good things.
מִ֭רְמָה בְּלֶב־חֹ֣רְשֵׁי רָ֑ע וּֽלְיֹעֲצֵ֖י שָׁל֣וֹם שִׂמְחָֽה׃
21 Bad things [usually] [HYP] do not happen to righteous [people], but wicked [people] always have troubles.
לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה לַצַּדִּ֣יק כָּל־אָ֑וֶן וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים מָ֣לְאוּ רָֽע׃
22 Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies, but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה שִׂפְתֵי־שָׁ֑קֶר וְעֹשֵׂ֖י אֱמוּנָ֣ה רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃
23 Those with good sense do not reveal [all] that they know; foolish people show [clearly] by what they say that they (are ignorant/have not learned much).
אָדָ֣ם עָ֭רוּם כֹּ֣סֶה דָּ֑עַת וְלֵ֥ב כְּ֝סִילִ֗ים יִקְרָ֥א אִוֶּֽלֶת׃
24 Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers [of others]; those who are lazy become slaves [of others.]
יַד־חָרוּצִ֥ים תִּמְשׁ֑וֹל ו֝רְמִיָּ֗ה תִּהְיֶ֥ה לָמַֽס׃
25 When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected, but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.
דְּאָגָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֣ישׁ יַשְׁחֶ֑נָּה וְדָבָ֖ר ט֣וֹב יְשַׂמְּחֶֽנָּה׃
26 Godly/Righteous people try to [give good advice to] their friends (OR, try to make friends with others), but the manner in which wicked [people] live misleads their friends.
יָתֵ֣ר מֵרֵעֵ֣הוּ צַדִּ֑יק וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים תַּתְעֵֽם׃
27 Lazy people do not even [cook the meat of] the animals that they catch/kill, but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.
לֹא־יַחֲרֹ֣ךְ רְמִיָּ֣ה צֵיד֑וֹ וְהוֹן־אָדָ֖ם יָקָ֣ר חָרֽוּץ׃
28 Those who (live righteously/continually do what is right) are [walking] on the road to a long life; (it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young).
בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה חַיִּ֑ים וְדֶ֖רֶךְ נְתִיבָ֣ה אַל־מָֽוֶת׃

< Proverbs 12 >