< Παροιμίαι 26 >
1 Καθώς η χιών εν τω θέρει και καθώς η βροχή εν τω θερισμώ, ούτως εις τον άφρονα η τιμή δεν αρμόζει.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Ως περιφέρεται το στρουθίον, ως περιπετά η χελιδών, ούτως η άδικος κατάρα δεν θέλει επιφθάσει.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Μάστιξ διά τον ίππον, κημός διά τον όνον, και ράβδος διά την ράχιν των αφρόνων.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Μη αποκρίνου εις τον άφρονα κατά την αφροσύνην αυτού, διά να μη γείνης και συ όμοιος αυτού.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Αποκρίνου εις τον άφρονα κατά την αφροσύνην αυτού, διά να μη ήναι σοφός εις τους οφθαλμούς αυτού.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Όστις αποστέλλει μήνυμα διά χειρός του άφρονος, αποκόπτει τους πόδας αυτού και πίνει ζημίαν.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Ως τα σκέλη του χωλού κρέμονται ανωφελή, ούτως είναι και παροιμία εν τω στόματι των αφρόνων.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Ως ο δεσμεύων λίθον εις σφενδόνην, ούτως είναι όστις δίδει τιμήν εις τον άφρονα.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Ως η άκανθα ωθουμένη εις την χείρα του μεθύσου, ούτως είναι η παροιμία εν τω στόματι των αφρόνων.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Ο δυνάστης μιαίνει τα πάντα και μισθόνει τους άφρονας, μισθόνει και τους παραβάτας.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Ως ο κύων επιστρέφει εις τον εμετόν αυτού, ούτως ο άφρων επαναλαμβάνει την αφροσύνην αυτού.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Είδες άνθρωπον νομίζοντα εαυτόν σοφόν; μάλλον ελπίς είναι εκ του άφρονος παρά εξ αυτού.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Ο οκνηρός λέγει, Λέων είναι εν τη οδώ, λέων εν ταις πλατείαις.
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Ως η θύρα περιστρέφεται επί τας στρόφιγγας αυτής, ούτως ο οκνηρός επί την κλίνην αυτού.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Ο οκνηρός εμβάπτει την χείρα αυτού εις το τρυβλίον και βαρύνεται να επιστρέψη αυτήν εις το στόμα αυτού.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Ο οκνηρός νομίζει εαυτόν σοφώτερον παρά επτά σοφούς γνωμοδότας.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Όστις διαβαίνων ανακατόνεται εις έριδα μη ανήκουσαν εις αυτόν, ομοιάζει τον πιάνοντα κύνα από των ωτίων.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Ως ο μανιακός όστις ρίπτει φλόγας, βέλη και θάνατον,
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
19 ούτως είναι ο άνθρωπος, όστις απατά τον πλησίον αυτού και λέγει, δεν έκαμον εγώ παίζων;
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Όπου δεν είναι ξύλα, το πυρ σβύνεται· και όπου δεν είναι ψιθυριστής, η έρις ησυχάζει.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Οι άνθρακες διά την ανθρακιάν και τα ξύλα διά το πυρ, και ο φίλερις άνθρωπος διά να εξάπτη έριδας.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Οι λόγοι του ψιθυριστού καταπίνονται ηδέως, και καταβαίνουσιν εις τα ενδόμυχα της κοιλίας.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Τα ένθερμα χείλη μετά πονηράς καρδίας είναι ως σκωρία αργύρου επικεχρισμένη επί πήλινον αγγείον.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Όστις μισεί, υποκρίνεται με τα χείλη αυτού, και μηχανεύεται δόλον εν τη καρδία αυτού.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Όταν ομιλή χαριέντως, μη πίστευε αυτόν· διότι έχει επτά βδελύγματα εν τη καρδία αυτού.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Όστις σκεπάζει το μίσος διά δόλου, η πονηρία αυτού θέλει φανερωθή εν μέσω της συνάξεως.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Όστις σκάπτει λάκκον, θέλει πέσει εις αυτόν· και ο λίθος θέλει επιστρέψει επί τον κυλίοντα αυτόν.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Η ψευδής γλώσσα μισεί τους υπ' αυτής καταθλιβομένους· και το απατηλόν στόμα εργάζεται καταστροφήν.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.