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.
| פַּלְגֵי־מַ֣יִם לֶב־מֶ֭לֶךְ בְּיַד־יְהוָ֑ה עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֖ר יַחְפֹּ֣ץ יַטֶּֽנּוּ׃ |
2 People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
| כָּֽל־דֶּרֶךְ־אִ֭ישׁ יָשָׁ֣ר בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְתֹכֵ֖ן לִבֹּ֣ות יְהוָֽה׃ |
3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
| עֲ֭שֹׂה צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט נִבְחָ֖ר לַיהוָ֣ה מִזָּֽבַח׃ |
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).
| רוּם־עֵ֭ינַיִם וּרְחַב־לֵ֑ב נִ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים חַטָּֽאת׃ |
5 People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
| מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות חָ֭רוּץ אַךְ־לְמֹותָ֑ר וְכָל־אָ֝֗ץ אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹֽור׃ |
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.
| פֹּ֣עַל אֹ֭וצָרֹות בִּלְשֹׁ֣ון שָׁ֑קֶר הֶ֥בֶל נִ֝דָּ֗ף מְבַקְשֵׁי־מָֽוֶת׃ |
7 Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
| שֹׁד־רְשָׁעִ֥ים יְגֹורֵ֑ם כִּ֥י מֵ֝אֲנ֗וּ לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ |
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.
| הֲפַכְפַּ֬ךְ דֶּ֣רֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ וָזָ֑ר וְ֝זַ֗ךְ יָשָׁ֥ר פָּעֳלֹֽו׃ |
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.
| טֹ֗וב לָשֶׁ֥בֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּ֑ג מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים וּבֵ֥ית חָֽבֶר׃ |
10 Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
| נֶ֣פֶשׁ רָ֭שָׁע אִוְּתָה־רָ֑ע לֹא־יֻחַ֖ן בְּעֵינָ֣יו רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ |
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.
| בַּעְנָשׁ־לֵ֭ץ יֶחְכַּם־פֶּ֑תִי וּבְהַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְ֝חָכָ֗ם יִקַּח־דָּֽעַת׃ |
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.
| מַשְׂכִּ֣יל צַ֭דִּיק לְבֵ֣ית רָשָׁ֑ע מְסַלֵּ֖ף רְשָׁעִ֣ים לָרָֽע׃ |
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.
| אֹטֵ֣ם אָ֭זְנֹו מִזַּעֲקַת־דָּ֑ל גַּֽם־ה֥וּא יִ֝קְרָ֗א וְלֹ֣א יֵעָנֶֽה׃ |
14 When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
| מַתָּ֣ן בַּ֭סֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה־אָ֑ף וְשֹׁ֥חַד בַּ֝חֵ֗ק חֵמָ֥ה עַזָּֽה׃ |
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].
| שִׂמְחָ֣ה לַ֭צַּדִּיק עֲשֹׂ֣ות מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּ֝מְחִתָּ֗ה לְפֹ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃ |
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.
| אָדָ֗ם תֹּ֭ועֶה מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל בִּקְהַ֖ל רְפָאִ֣ים יָנֽוּחַ׃ |
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.
| אִ֣ישׁ מַ֭חְסֹור אֹהֵ֣ב שִׂמְחָ֑ה אֹהֵ֥ב יַֽיִן־וָ֝שֶׁ֗מֶן לֹ֣א יַעֲשִֽׁיר׃ |
18 Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
| כֹּ֣פֶר לַצַּדִּ֣יק רָשָׁ֑ע וְתַ֖חַת יְשָׁרִ֣ים בֹּוגֵֽד׃ |
19 It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
| טֹ֗וב שֶׁ֥בֶת בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְבָּ֑ר מֵאֵ֖שֶׁת מְדֹונִים (מִדְיָנִ֣ים) וָכָֽעַס׃ |
20 Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
| אֹוצָ֤ר ׀ נֶחְמָ֣ד וָ֭שֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵ֣ה חָכָ֑ם וּכְסִ֖יל אָדָ֣ם יְבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃ |
21 Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
| רֹ֭דֵף צְדָקָ֣ה וָחָ֑סֶד יִמְצָ֥א חַ֝יִּ֗ים צְדָקָ֥ה וְכָבֹֽוד׃ |
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].
| עִ֣יר גִּ֭בֹּרִים עָלָ֣ה חָכָ֑ם וַ֝יֹּ֗רֶד עֹ֣ז מִבְטֶחָֽה׃ |
23 Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
| שֹׁמֵ֣ר פִּ֭יו וּלְשֹׁונֹ֑ו שֹׁמֵ֖ר מִצָּרֹ֣ות נַפְשֹֽׁו׃ |
24 Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
| זֵ֣ד יָ֭הִיר לֵ֣ץ שְׁמֹ֑ו עֹ֝ושֶׂ֗ה בְּעֶבְרַ֥ת זָדֹֽון׃ |
25 Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
| תַּאֲוַ֣ת עָצֵ֣ל תְּמִיתֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־מֵאֲנ֖וּ יָדָ֣יו לַעֲשֹֽׂות׃ |
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.
| כָּל־הַ֭יֹּום הִתְאַוָּ֣ה תַאֲוָ֑ה וְצַדִּ֥יק יִ֝תֵּ֗ן וְלֹ֣א יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃ |
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.
| זֶ֣בַח רְ֭שָׁעִים תֹּועֵבָ֑ה אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־בְזִמָּ֥ה יְבִיאֶֽנּוּ׃ |
28 Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
| עֵד־כְּזָבִ֥ים יֹאבֵ֑ד וְאִ֥ישׁ שֹׁ֝ומֵ֗עַ לָנֶ֥צַח יְדַבֵּֽר׃ |
29 Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
| הֵעֵ֬ז אִ֣ישׁ רָשָׁ֣ע בְּפָנָ֑יו וְ֝יָשָׁ֗ר ה֤וּא ׀ יָכִין (יָבִ֬ין) דְּרָכָיו (דַּרְכֹּֽו)׃ |
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.
| אֵ֣ין חָ֭כְמָה וְאֵ֣ין תְּבוּנָ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין עֵ֝צָ֗ה לְנֶ֣גֶד יְהוָֽה׃ פ |
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).
| ס֗וּס מ֭וּכָן לְיֹ֣ום מִלְחָמָ֑ה וְ֝לַֽיהוָ֗ה הַתְּשׁוּעָֽה׃ |
