< 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.
Sicut divisiones aquarum, ita cor regis in manu Domini: quocumque voluerit, inclinabit illud.
2 People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
Omnis via viri recta sibi videtur: appendit autem corda Dominus.
3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
Facere misericordiam et judicium magis placet Domino quam victimæ.
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).
Exaltatio oculorum est dilatatio cordis; lucerna impiorum peccatum.
5 People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
Cogitationes robusti semper in abundantia; omnis autem piger semper in egestate est.
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.
Qui congregat thesauros lingua mendacii vanus et excors est, et impingetur ad laqueos mortis.
7 Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
Rapinæ impiorum detrahent eos, quia noluerunt facere judicium.
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.
Perversa via viri aliena est; qui autem mundus est, rectum opus ejus.
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.
Melius est sedere in angulo domatis, quam cum muliere litigiosa, et in domo communi.
10 Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
Anima impii desiderat malum: non miserebitur proximo suo.
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.
Mulctato pestilente, sapientior erit parvulus, et si sectetur sapientem, sumet scientiam.
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.
Excogitat justus de domo impii, ut detrahat impios a malo.
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.
Qui obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis, et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur.
14 When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
Munus absconditum extinguit iras, et donum in sinu indignationem maximam.
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].
Gaudium justo est facere judicium, et pavor operantibus iniquitatem.
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.
Vir qui erraverit a via doctrinæ in cœtu gigantum commorabitur.
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.
Qui diligit epulas in egestate erit; qui amat vinum et pinguia non ditabitur.
18 Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
Pro justo datur impius, et pro rectis iniquus.
19 It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
Melius est habitare in terra deserta quam cum muliere rixosa et iracunda.
20 Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
Thesaurus desiderabilis, et oleum in habitaculo justi: et imprudens homo dissipabit illud.
21 Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
Qui sequitur justitiam et misericordiam inveniet vitam, justitiam, et gloriam.
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].
Civitatem fortium ascendit sapiens, et destruxit robur fiduciæ ejus.
23 Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
Qui custodit os suum et linguam suam custodit ab angustiis animam suam.
24 Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
Superbus et arrogans vocatur indoctus, qui in ira operatur superbiam.
25 Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
Desideria occidunt pigrum: noluerunt enim quidquam manus ejus operari.
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.
Tota die concupiscit et desiderat; qui autem justus est, tribuet, et non cessabit.
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.
Hostiæ impiorum abominabiles, quia offeruntur ex scelere.
28 Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
Testis mendax peribit; vir obediens loquetur victoriam.
29 Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
Vir impius procaciter obfirmat vultum suum; qui autem rectus est corrigit viam suam.
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.
Non est sapientia, non est prudentia, non est consilium contra Dominum.
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).
Equus paratur ad diem belli; Dominus autem salutem tribuit.