Παροιμίαι 17
1 Καλήτερον ξηρόν ψωμίον και ειρήνη μετ' αυτού, παρά οίκον πλήρη θυμάτων μετά έριδος.
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 Ο φρόνιμος υπηρέτης θέλει εξουσιάζει επί υιού αισχύνης και θέλει συμμοιρασθή την κληρονομίαν μεταξύ αδελφών.
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 Το χωνευτήριον δοκιμάζει τον άργυρον και η κάμινος τον χρυσόν, ο δε Κύριος τας καρδίας.
[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 Ο κακοποιός υπακούει εις τα άνομα χείλη· ο ψεύστης δίδει ακρόασιν εις την κακήν γλώσσαν.
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 Όστις περιγελά τον πτωχόν, ονειδίζει τον Ποιητήν αυτού· όστις χαίρει εις συμφοράς, δεν θέλει μείνει ατιμώρητος.
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 Τέκνα τέκνων είναι ο στέφανος των γερόντων· και η δόξα των τέκνων οι πατέρες αυτών.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Χείλη υπεροχής δεν αρμόζουσιν εις τον άφρονα· πολύ ολιγώτερον χείλη ψεύδους εις τον άρχοντα.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Το δώρον είναι ως λίθος πολύτιμος εις τους οφθαλμούς του δωροδοκουμένου· όπου τούτο εμφανισθή, κατορθόνει.
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 Όστις κρύπτει παράβασιν, ζητεί φιλίαν· αλλ' όστις επαναλέγει το πράγμα, χωρίζει τους στενωτέρους φίλους.
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 Περισσότερον τύπτει ο έλεγχος τον φρόνιμον, παρά εκατόν μαστιγώσεις τον άφρονα.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Ο κακός ζητεί μόνον στάσεις· διά τούτο άγγελος σκληρός θέλει πεμφθή κατ' αυτού.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Ας απαντήση τον άνθρωπον άρκτος στερηθείσα των τέκνων αυτής και ουχί άφρων εν τη μωρία αυτού.
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 Όστις αποδίδει κακόν αντί καλού, κακόν δεν θέλει αναχωρήσει από του οίκου αυτού.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Όστις αρχίζει φιλονεικίαν, είναι ως ο εκφράττων ύδατα· όθεν παύσον από της φιλονεικίας πριν εξαφθή.
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 Ο δικαιόνων τον ασεβή και ο καταδικάζων τον δίκαιον, αμφότεροι είναι βδέλυγμα εις τον Κύριον.
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 Τι χρησιμεύουσι τα χρήματα εις την χείρα του άφρονος, διά να αγοράση σοφίαν, αφού δεν έχει γνώσιν;
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 Εν παντί καιρώ αγαπά ο φίλος, και ο αδελφός γεννάται διά καιρόν ανάγκης.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Άνθρωπος ενδεής φρενών δίδει χείρα και εγγυάται διά τον φίλον αυτού.
[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 Ο αγαπών έριδας αγαπά αμαρτήματα· ο υπερυψόνων την πύλην αυτού ζητεί όλεθρον.
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 Ο σκολιός την καρδίαν δεν ευρίσκει καλόν· και ο διεστραμμένος την γλώσσαν αυτού πίπτει εις συμφοράν.
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 Όστις γεννά άφρονα, γεννά αυτόν διά λύπην αυτού· και ο πατήρ του ανοήτου δεν απολαμβάνει χαράν.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Η ευφραινομένη καρδία δίδει ευεξίαν ως ιατρικόν· το δε κατατεθλιμμένον πνεύμα ξηραίνει τα οστά.
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 Ο ασεβής δέχεται δώρον από του κόλπου, διά να διαστρέψη τας οδούς της κρίσεως.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Επί του προσώπου του συνετού είναι σοφία· αλλ' οι οφθαλμοί του άφρονος βλέπουσιν εις τα άκρα της γης.
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 Ο άφρων υιός είναι βαρυθυμία εις τον πατέρα αυτού και πικρία εις την γεννήσασαν αυτόν.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Δεν είναι ποτέ καλόν να επιβάλληται ποινή εις τον δίκαιον, να επιβουλεύηταί τις τους άρχοντας διά την ευθύτητα αυτών.
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 Ο κρατών τους λόγους αυτού είναι γνωστικός· ο μακρόθυμος άνθρωπος είναι φρόνιμος.
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 Και αυτός ο άφρων, όταν σιωπά λογίζεται σοφός· και ο κλείων τα χείλη αυτού, συνετός.
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.
