Proverbs 21
1 Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.
君王的心在上主手裏，有如水流，可隨意轉移。
2 People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
人對自己的行為，都自覺正直；但審察人心的，卻是上主。
3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
秉公行義，比獻祭獻更悅上主。
4 Being proud and arrogant [DOU] is [like] a lamp [MTY] [that guides] wicked people; being proud and arrogant characterizes (wicked people’s whole behavior/everything that wicked people do).
傲慢的眼睛，驕傲的心靈，惡人的炫耀，無非是罪惡。
5 People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
熟思的人，必足以致富；草率的人，必貧困纏身。
6 Money that people acquire [by cheating others] by lying [MTY] to them will soon disappear [like] a mist, and doing that will [soon] lead to their death.
以謊言偽語騙得的財寶，是浮雲輕煙，死亡的羅網。
7 Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
惡人的暴戾，必殃及自身，因他們不肯去履行正義。
8 Guilty [people continually do what is evil; it is as though] [MET] they are walking on a crooked road; but righteous/innocent people [always] do what is right.
惡人的道路，歪曲邪僻；正人的行為，正直適中。
9 It is better to live in the corner of an attic/housetop [by yourself] than to live inside the house with a wife who is always nagging.
寧願住在屋頂的一角，不願與吵婦同居一室。
10 Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
惡人的心靈，只求邪惡；對自己友伴，毫不關懷。
11 When those who ridicule [others] are punished, [even] those who do not have good sense [see that, and] they become wise, and when those who are wise are taught, they become wiser.
輕狂人遭受處罰，幼稚者將得明智；智慧人接受教訓，更增加自己知識。
12 [God], the one [who is completely] righteous, knows [what happens inside] the houses of wicked [people], and [he will cause] those people to be completely ruined/destroyed.
正義的上主監視惡人的家，且使惡人們都陷於災禍中。
13 There are people who refuse to listen when poor people cry out [for help]; [but some day] they themselves will cry out [for help], and no one will hear them.
誰對窮人的哀求，充耳不聞，他呼求時，也不會得到應允。
14 When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
暗中相送的饋贈，可平息忿怒；投入懷中的禮物，可平息狂怒。
15 Good/Righteous [people] are happy when they [see others do] what is just/fair, but those who do what is evil are terrified [when they think about what may happen to them].
秉公行義，能叫義人喜樂；但為作惡的人，卻是恐懼。
16 Those who stop behaving like those who have good sense behave will [soon] discover that they have gone to the place where dead people are.
凡遠離明智道路的人，必居於幽靈的集會中。
17 Those who spend their money to buy (things that give them pleasure/things that cause them to feel happy) will become poor; those who love [to spend money to buy] wine and nice/fancy food [MTY] will never become rich.
貪愛享樂的人，必遭受窮困；喜愛酒油的人，必不會致富。
18 Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
惡人必將為義人作贖金，敗類也將替君子作代價。
19 It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
與好爭易怒的女人同居，倒不如獨自住在曠野裏。
20 Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
珍貴的寶藏和油，積藏在智者家裏；但糊塗愚昧的人，卻將之消耗淨盡。
21 Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
追求正義和仁慈的人，必將獲得生命與尊榮。
22 A wise army commander [helps his troops] climb over a wall [to attack] a city that is defended by a strong army, with the result that they are able to (get over/destroy) the high walls that their enemies trusted [would protect them].
智者必登上勇士的城邑，攻破城邑所憑倚的保壘。
23 Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
誰謹守自己的口舌，心靈必能免受煩惱。
24 Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
高傲的人名叫「狂人」，他行事必極端蠻橫。
25 Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
怠惰人的手不肯操作，必為他的願望所扼殺。
26 All during the day [wicked people] desire to obtain things, but righteous [people] have plenty, [with the result that] they [are able to] give things generously to others.
貪婪的人，終日貪婪；正義的人，廣施不吝。
27 [Yahweh] detests the sacrifices that wicked [people] offer [to him]; [but he] detests it even more when they [think that they will escape being punished for] their evil deeds because of the sacrifices that they bring.
惡人的祭獻，已是可憎；若懷惡而獻，更將如何﹖
28 Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
作假見證的人，必要滅亡；但善於聽的人，纔可常言。
29 Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
邪惡的人，常裝腔作勢；正直的人，卻舉止檢點。
30 [Thinking that we are] wise, and that we understand many things, and that we have good insight, does not help us if Yahweh is (acting against/not pleased with) us.
任何智慧、才略或計謀，都不能與上主相對抗。
31 We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
招兵買馬，是為作作戰之日；但是勝利，卻由上主指使。
