Sananlaskujen 17
1 Parempi kuiva kannikka rauhassa kuin talon täysi uhripaistia riidassa.
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.
2 Taitava palvelija hallitsee kunnotonta poikaa ja pääsee perinnönjaolle veljesten rinnalla.
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.
3 Hopealle sulatin, kullalle uuni, mutta sydämet koettelee Herra.
[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].
4 Paha kuuntelee häijyjä huulia, petollisuus kuulee pahoja kieliä.
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.
5 Joka köyhää pilkkaa, se herjaa hänen luojaansa; joka toisen onnettomuudesta iloitsee, ei jää rankaisematta.
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].
6 Vanhusten kruunu ovat lastenlapset, ja isät ovat lasten kunnia.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Ei sovi houkalle ylevä puhe, saati sitten ruhtinaalle valhe.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Lahjus on käyttäjänsä silmissä kallis kivi: mihin vain hän kääntyy, hän menestyy.
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.
9 Joka rikkeen peittää, se rakkautta harrastaa; mutta joka asioita kaivelee, se erottaa ystävykset.
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.
10 Nuhde pystyy paremmin ymmärtäväiseen kuin sata lyöntiä tyhmään.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Pelkkää onnettomuutta hankkii kapinoitsija, mutta häntä vastaan lähetetään armoton sanansaattaja.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Kohdatkoon miestä karhu, jolta on riistetty poikaset, mutta älköön tyhmä hulluudessansa.
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.
13 Joka hyvän pahalla palkitsee, sen kodista ei onnettomuus väisty.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Alottaa tora on päästää vedet valloilleen; herkeä, ennenkuin riita syttyy.
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.
15 Syyllisen syyttömäksi ja syyttömän syylliseksi tekijä ovat kumpikin Herralle kauhistus.
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.
16 Mitä hyötyä on rahasta tyhmän käsissä? Viisauden hankkimiseen ei ole ymmärrystä.
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.
17 Ystävä rakastaa ainiaan ja veli syntyy varaksi hädässä.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Mieltä vailla on mies, joka kättä lyöpi, joka menee toista takaamaan.
[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.
19 Joka toraa rakastaa, se rikkomusta rakastaa; joka ovensa korottaa, se hankkii kukistumistaan.
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.
20 Väärämielinen ei onnea löydä, ja kavalakielinen suistuu onnettomuuteen.
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.
21 Tyhmä on murheeksi siittäjällensä, ja houkan isä on iloa vailla.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Terveydeksi on iloinen sydän, mutta murtunut mieli kuivuttaa luut.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Jumalaton ottaa lahjuksen vastaan toisen povelta vääristääksensä oikeuden tiet.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Ymmärtäväisellä on viisaus kasvojensa edessä, mutta tyhmän silmät kiertävät maailman rantaa.
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].
25 Tyhmä poika on isällensä suruksi ja synnyttäjällensä mielihaikeaksi.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Paha jo sekin, jos syytöntä sakotetaan; kovin kohtuutonta, jos jaloja lyödään.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Joka hillitsee sanansa, on taitava, ja mielensä malttava on ymmärtäväinen mies.
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.
28 Hullukin käy viisaasta, jos vaiti on; joka huulensa sulkee, on ymmärtäväinen.
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.
