Proverbs 17
1 It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
| טֹ֤וב פַּ֣ת חֲ֭רֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב׃ |
2 A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
| עֶֽבֶד־מַשְׂכִּ֗יל יִ֭מְשֹׁל בְּבֵ֣ן מֵבִ֑ישׁ וּבְתֹ֥וךְ אַ֝חִ֗ים יַחֲלֹ֥ק נַחֲלָֽה׃ |
3 [Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
| מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבֹּ֣ות יְהוָֽה׃ |
4 Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
| מֵ֭רַע מַקְשִׁ֣יב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָ֑וֶן שֶׁ֥קֶר מֵ֝זִין עַל־לְשֹׁ֥ון הַוֹּֽת׃ |
5 Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
| לֹעֵ֣ג לָ֭רָשׁ חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ שָׂמֵ֥חַ לְ֝אֵ֗יד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃ |
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
| עֲטֶ֣רֶת זְ֭קֵנִים בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְתִפְאֶ֖רֶת בָּנִ֣ים אֲבֹותָֽם׃ |
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
| לֹא־נָאוָ֣ה לְנָבָ֣ל שְׂפַת־יֶ֑תֶר אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־לְנָדִ֥יב שְׂפַת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ |
8 People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
| אֶֽבֶן־חֵ֣ן הַ֭שֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ |
9 If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
| מְֽכַסֶּה־פֶּ֭שַׁע מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה וְשֹׁנֶ֥ה בְ֝דָבָ֗ר מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃ |
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
| תֵּ֣חַת גְּעָרָ֣ה בְמֵבִ֑ין מֵהַכֹּ֖ות כְּסִ֣יל מֵאָֽה׃ |
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
| אַךְ־מְרִ֥י יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָ֑ע וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י יְשֻׁלַּח־בֹּֽו׃ |
12 A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
| פָּגֹ֬ושׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל בְּאִ֑ישׁ וְאַל־כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתֹּֽו׃ |
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
| מֵשִׁ֣יב רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טֹובָ֑ה לֹא־תָמִישׁ (תָמ֥וּשׁ) רָ֝עָ֗ה מִבֵּיתֹֽו׃ |
14 Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
| פֹּ֣וטֵֽר מַ֭יִם רֵאשִׁ֣ית מָדֹ֑ון וְלִפְנֵ֥י הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע הָרִ֥יב נְטֹֽושׁ׃ |
15 There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
| מַצְדִּ֣יק רָ֭שָׁע וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ צַדִּ֑יק תֹּועֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ |
16 It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
| לָמָּה־זֶּ֣ה מְחִ֣יר בְּיַד־כְּסִ֑יל לִקְנֹ֖ות חָכְמָ֣ה וְלֶב־אָֽיִן׃ |
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
| בְּכָל־עֵ֭ת אֹהֵ֣ב הָרֵ֑עַ וְאָ֥ח לְ֝צָרָ֗ה יִוָּלֵֽד׃ |
18 [If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
| אָדָ֣ם חֲסַר־לֵ֭ב תֹּוקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף עֹרֵ֥ב עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה לִפְנֵ֥י רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ |
19 Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
| אֹ֣הֵֽב פֶּ֭שַׁע אֹהֵ֣ב מַצָּ֑ה מַגְבִּ֥יהַּ פִּ֝תְחֹ֗ו מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָֽׁבֶר׃ |
20 Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
| עִקֶּשׁ־לֵ֭ב לֹ֣א יִמְצָא־טֹ֑וב וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְ בִּ֝לְשֹׁונֹ֗ו יִפֹּ֥ול בְּרָעָֽה׃ |
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
| יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה לֹ֑ו וְלֹֽא־יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃ |
22 Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
| לֵ֣ב שָׂ֭מֵחַ יֵיטִ֣ב גֵּהָ֑ה וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּֽרֶם׃ |
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
| שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵיק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטֹּ֗ות אָרְחֹ֥ות מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ |
24 Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
| אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י מֵבִ֣ין חָכְמָ֑ה וְעֵינֵ֥י כְ֝סִ֗יל בִּקְצֵה־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
| כַּ֣עַס לְ֭אָבִיו בֵּ֣ן כְּסִ֑יל וּ֝מֶ֗מֶר לְיֹולַדְתֹּֽו׃ |
26 It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
| גַּ֤ם עֲנֹ֣ושׁ לַצַּדִּ֣יק לֹא־טֹ֑וב לְהַכֹּ֖ות נְדִיבִ֣ים עַל־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ |
27 Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
| חֹושֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו יֹודֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת וְקַר־ (יְקַר)־ר֝֗וּחַ אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ |
28 People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
| גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֹֽון׃ |
