מִשְׁלֵי 21

1 פלגי-מים לב-מלך ביד-יהוה על-כל-אשר יחפץ יטנו

Yahweh controls what kings do [MTY] [like] he controls how streams flow; he causes kings to do just what he wants them to do.

2 כל-דרך-איש ישר בעיניו ותכן לבות יהוה

People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].

3 עשה צדקה ומשפט-- נבחר ליהוה מזבח

Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].

4 רום-עינים ורחב-לב-- נר רשעים חטאת

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).

5 מחשבות חרוץ אך-למותר וכל-אץ אך-למחסור

People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.

6 פעל אצרות בלשון שקר-- הבל נדף מבקשי-מות

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.

7 שד-רשעים יגורם כי מאנו לעשות משפט

Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.

8 הפכפך דרך איש וזר וזך ישר פעלו

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.

9 טוב לשבת על-פנת-גג-- מאשת מדינים ובית חבר

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.

10 נפש רשע אותה-רע לא-יחן בעיניו רעהו

Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.

11 בענש-לץ יחכם-פתי ובהשכיל לחכם יקח-דעת

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.

12 משכיל צדיק לבית רשע מסלף רשעים לרע

[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.

13 אטם אזנו מזעקת-דל-- גם-הוא יקרא ולא יענה

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.

14 מתן בסתר יכפה-אף ושחד בחק חמה עזה

When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.

15 שמחה לצדיק עשות משפט ומחתה לפעלי און

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].

16 אדם--תועה מדרך השכל בקהל רפאים ינוח

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.

17 איש מחסור אהב שמחה אהב יין-ושמן לא יעשיר

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.

18 כפר לצדיק רשע ותחת ישרים בוגד

Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].

19 טוב שבת בארץ-מדבר-- מאשת מדונים (מדינים) וכעס

It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.

20 אוצר נחמד ושמן--בנוה חכם וכסיל אדם יבלענו

Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].

21 רדף צדקה וחסד-- ימצא חיים צדקה וכבוד

Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.

22 עיר גברים עלה חכם וירד עז מבטחה

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].

23 שמר פיו ולשונו-- שמר מצרות נפשו

Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.

24 זד יהיר לץ שמו-- עושה בעברת זדון

Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].

25 תאות עצל תמיתנו כי-מאנו ידיו לעשות

Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].

26 כל-היום התאוה תאוה וצדיק יתן ולא יחשך

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.

27 זבח רשעים תועבה אף כי-בזמה יביאנו

[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.

28 עד-כזבים יאבד ואיש שומע לנצח ידבר

Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.

29 העז איש רשע בפניו וישר הוא יכין דרכיו (יבין דרכו)

Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.

30 אין חכמה ואין תבונה-- ואין עצה לנגד יהוה

[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.

31 סוס--מוכן ליום מלחמה וליהוה התשועה

We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).