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.
[Melior est buccella sicca cum gaudio quam domus plena victimis cum jurgio.
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.
Servus sapiens dominabitur filiis stultis, et inter fratres hæreditatem dividet.
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].
Sicut igne probatur argentum et aurum camino, ita corda probat Dominus.
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.
Malus obedit linguæ iniquæ, et fallax obtemperat labiis mendacibus.
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].
Qui despicit pauperem exprobrat factori ejus, et qui ruina lætatur alterius non erit impunitus.
6 Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
Corona senum filii filiorum, et gloria filiorum patres eorum.
7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
Non decent stultum verba composita, nec principem labium mentiens.
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.
Gemma gratissima exspectatio præstolantis; quocumque se vertit, prudenter intelligit.
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.
Qui celat delictum quærit amicitias; qui altero sermone repetit, separat fœderatos.
10 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
Plus proficit correptio apud prudentem, quam centum plagæ apud stultum.
11 [Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
Semper jurgia quærit malus: angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum.
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.
Expedit magis ursæ occurrere raptis fœtibus, quam fatuo confidenti in stultitia sua.
13 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
Qui reddit mala pro bonis, non recedet malum de domo ejus.
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.
Qui dimittit aquam caput est jurgiorum, et antequam patiatur contumeliam judicium deserit.]
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.
[Qui justificat impium, et qui condemnat justum, abominabilis est uterque apud Deum.
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.
Quid prodest stulto habere divitias, cum sapientiam emere non possit? Qui altum facit domum suam quærit ruinam, et qui evitat discere incidet in mala.
17 Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est, et frater in angustiis comprobatur.
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.
Stultus homo plaudet manibus, cum spoponderit pro amico suo.
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.
Qui meditatur discordias diligit rixas, et qui exaltat ostium quærit ruinam.
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.
Qui perversi cordis est non inveniet bonum, et qui vertit linguam incidet in malum.
21 Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
Natus est stultus in ignominiam suam; sed nec pater in fatuo lætabitur.
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].
Animus gaudens ætatem floridam facit; spiritus tristis exsiccat ossa.
23 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
Munera de sinu impius accipit, ut pervertat semitas judicii.
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].
In facie prudentis lucet sapientia; oculi stultorum in finibus terræ.
25 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
Ira patris filius stultus, et dolor matris quæ genuit eum.
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.
Non est bonum damnum inferre justo, nec percutere principem qui recta judicat.
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.
Qui moderatur sermones suos doctus et prudens est, et pretiosi spiritus vir eruditus.
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.
Stultus quoque, si tacuerit, sapiens reputabitur, et si compresserit labia sua, intelligens.]
