מִשְׁלֵי 29

1 איש תוכחות מקשה-ערף-- פתע ישבר ואין מרפא

Some people remain stubborn [IDM] [even] though they are often reproved/warned [about doing what is wrong], [but some day] they will be crushed/ruined, and nothing will be able to heal them.

2 ברבות צדיקים ישמח העם ובמשל רשע יאנח עם

When righteous [people] are rulers, people are happy, but when wicked [people] rule, people (groan/are miserable).

3 איש-אהב חכמה ישמח אביו ורעה זונות יאבד-הון

Those who are eager to become wise cause their parents to be glad; those who spend their time with prostitutes will end up giving all their money to them.

4 מלך--במשפט יעמיד ארץ ואיש תרומות יהרסנה

When a king rules justly/fairly, he causes his nation to be strong, but a king who is concerned [only] with getting more money from the people ruins his nation.

5 גבר מחליק על-רעהו רשת פורש על-פעמיו

Those who (flatter others/say nice things to others [merely] to cause them to feel good) are really setting a trap for them (OR, for themselves) [SYN].

6 בפשע איש רע מוקש וצדיק ירון ושמח

Evil people will be trapped by the sins that they commit, but righteous/honest people will sing and be joyful/happy.

7 ידע צדיק דין דלים רשע לא-יבין דעת

Righteous/Good people know that poor [people] should be treated fairly/justly, [but] wicked people (are not concerned about/do not pay attention to) those matters at all.

8 אנשי לצון יפיחו קריה וחכמים ישיבו אף

Those who make fun of [everything that is good say things that] cause [everyone in] the city to (be agitated/in turmoil); those who are wise enable [people] to remain calm.

9 איש-חכם--נשפט את-איש אויל ורגז ושחק ואין נחת

If a wise person sues a foolish person, the foolish person merely laughs [at him] and yells [at him] and will not be quiet (OR, [the dispute will] not be resolved).

10 אנשי דמים ישנאו-תם וישרים יבקשו נפשו

Those who murder others hate people who (are honest/always do what is right), but righteous [people] try to protect them.

11 כל-רוחו יוציא כסיל וחכם באחור ישבחנה

People who are wise are patient and restrain/control themselves when they are angry, but foolish people (quickly show others that they are very angry/do not restrain themselves at all).

12 משל מקשיב על-דבר-שקר-- כל-משרתיו רשעים

If a ruler (pays attention to/believes) [people who tell] lies, all his officials will [also] become wicked.

13 רש ואיש תככים נפגשו-- מאיר עיני שניהם יהוה

There is one thing that is true about both poor people and those who oppress them: Yahweh enables all of them to see.

14 מלך שופט באמת דלים-- כסאו לעד יכון

If kings judge poor [people] fairly, they will continue to rule for a long time.

15 שבט ותוכחת יתן חכמה ונער משלח מביש אמו

If children are punished/spanked and reproved/warned, they become wise; but if they are allowed to do whatever they want to do, they [do things that] cause their mothers to be ashamed of them.

16 ברבות רשעים ירבה-פשע וצדיקים במפלתם יראו

When wicked [people] rule, there are more crimes committed {people commit more crimes}, but [some day] those wicked people will (be defeated/no longer rule), and righteous [people] will see that happen.

17 יסר בנך ויניחך ויתן מעדנים לנפשך

If you discipline your children, they will no longer [do things that] will cause you to be worried; instead, they [will do things that] will delight you [SYN].

18 באין חזון יפרע עם ושמר תורה אשרהו

When the people [of a nation] do not receive messages that come directly from God, they do not control their behavior. [God] is pleased with those who obey his laws.

19 בדברים לא-יוסר עבד כי-יבין ואין מענה

It is not possible to correct/discipline servants only by talking to them; they understand what you are saying, but they do not pay attention to it.

20 חזית--איש אץ בדבריו תקוה לכסיל ממנו

[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily [RHQ] than he can help/bless people who speak without thinking first.

21 מפנק מנער עבדו ואחריתו יהיה מנון

If someone gives his servants everything that they want, starting from when they are young, some day those servants will take from him everything that he owns.

22 איש-אף יגרה מדון ובעל חמה רב-פשע

Those who [quickly] become angry cause [many] arguments, and they [also] commit many sins.

23 גאות אדם תשפילנו ושפל-רוח יתמך כבוד

Proud people will be disgraced; those who are humble will be respected.

24 חולק עם-גנב שונא נפשו אלה ישמע ולא יגיד

Those who help thieves [to steal] only hurt themselves; [when they are in court], they solemnly ask [God] to curse them [if they do not tell the truth], but they do not tell the truth [about the crime that was committed], [and as a result, God will curse them].

25 חרדת אדם יתן מוקש ובוטח ביהוה ישגב

It is [like] a dangerous trap [MET] [for people] to be (afraid of/worried about) what others will think about them, but those who trust in Yahweh are safe/protected.

26 רבים מבקשים פני-מושל ומיהוה משפט-איש

Many [people] request rulers to do things to help them, but Yahweh is [the only one] who surely does for people what is fair/just.

27 תועבת צדיקים איש עול ותועבת רשע ישר-דרך

Righteous [people] hate/detest those who do what is evil, and wicked [people] hate [those whose behavior is always] good.