מִשְׁלֵי 16
| לאדם מערכי-לב ומיהוה מענה לשון | 1 |
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.
| כל-דרכי-איש זך בעיניו ותכן רוחות יהוה | 2 |
People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.
| גל אל-יהוה מעשיך ויכנו מחשבתיך | 3 |
(Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.
| כל פעל יהוה למענהו וגם-רשע ליום רעה | 4 |
Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.
| תועבת יהוה כל-גבה-לב יד ליד לא ינקה | 5 |
Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].
| בחסד ואמת יכפר עון וביראת יהוה סור מרע | 6 |
Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).
| ברצות יהוה דרכי-איש גם-אויביו ישלם אתו | 7 |
When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.
| טוב-מעט בצדקה-- מרב תבואות בלא משפט | 8 |
It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.
| לב אדם יחשב דרכו ויהוה יכין צעדו | 9 |
People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.
| קסם על-שפתי-מלך במשפט לא ימעל-פיו | 10 |
[If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.
| פלס ומאזני משפט--ליהוה מעשהו כל-אבני-כיס | 11 |
Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.
| תועבת מלכים עשות רשע כי בצדקה יכון כסא | 12 |
Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.
| רצון מלכים שפתי-צדק ודבר ישרים יאהב | 13 |
Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.
| חמת-מלך מלאכי-מות ואיש חכם יכפרנה | 14 |
If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.
| באור-פני-מלך חיים ורצונו כעב מלקוש | 15 |
If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].
| קנה-חכמה--מה-טוב מחרוץ וקנות בינה נבחר מכסף | 16 |
Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.
| מסלת ישרים סור מרע שמר נפשו נצר דרכו | 17 |
Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.
| לפני-שבר גאון ולפני כשלון גבה רוח | 18 |
Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.
| טוב שפל-רוח את-עניים (ענוים) מחלק שלל את-גאים | 19 |
It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).
| משכיל על-דבר ימצא-טוב ובוטח ביהוה אשריו | 20 |
Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.
| לחכם-לב יקרא נבון ומתק שפתים יסיף לקח | 21 |
People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].
| מקור חיים שכל בעליו ומוסר אולים אולת | 22 |
Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.
| לב חכם ישכיל פיהו ועל-שפתיו יסיף לקח | 23 |
Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].
| צוף-דבש אמרי-נעם מתוק לנפש ומרפא לעצם | 24 |
Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.
| יש דרך ישר לפני-איש ואחריתה דרכי-מות | 25 |
There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.
| נפש עמל עמלה לו כי-אכף עליו פיהו | 26 |
If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.
| איש בליעל כרה רעה ועל-שפתיו (שפתו) כאש צרבת | 27 |
Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].
| איש תהפכות ישלח מדון ונרגן מפריד אלוף | 28 |
Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.
| איש חמס יפתה רעהו והוליכו בדרך לא-טוב | 29 |
Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.
| עצה עיניו לחשב תהפכות קרץ שפתיו כלה רעה | 30 |
People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.
| עטרת תפארת שיבה בדרך צדקה תמצא | 31 |
Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.
| טוב ארך אפים מגבור ומשל ברוחו מלכד עיר | 32 |
Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.
| בחיק יוטל את-הגורל ומיהוה כל-משפטו | 33 |
People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.
