מִשְׁלֵי 19

1 טֽוֹב־רָשׁ הוֹלֵךְ בְּתֻמּוֹ מֵעִקֵּשׁ שְׂפָתָיו וְהוּא כְסִֽיל׃

Conducting our lives as we should [even though] we are poor is better than being foolish and telling lies.

2 גַּם בְּלֹא־דַעַת נֶפֶשׁ לֹא־טוֹב וְאָץ בְּרַגְלַיִם חוֹטֵֽא׃

Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully [about what we are about to do] is not good; doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].

3 אִוֶּלֶת אָדָם תְּסַלֵּף דַּרְכּוֹ וְעַל־יְהֹוָה יִזְעַף לִבּֽוֹ׃

Some people are ruined as a result of their [own] foolish actions, and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.

4 הוֹן יֹסִיף רֵעִים רַבִּים וְדָל מֵרֵעֵהוּ יִפָּרֵֽד׃

Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends, but when [people become] poor, their friends [often] desert them.

5 עֵד שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִנָּקֶה וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים לֹא יִמָּלֵֽט׃

Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT]; they will not escape it.

6 רַבִּים יְחַלּוּ פְנֵֽי־נָדִיב וְכׇל־הָרֵעַ לְאִישׁ מַתָּֽן׃

Many [people] try to persuade important people to do favors for them; everyone [wants to] be a friend of those who give gifts.

7 כׇּל ־ אֲחֵי־רָשׁ ׀ שְֽׂנֵאֻהוּ אַף כִּי מְרֵעֵהוּ רָחֲקוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מְרַדֵּף אֲמָרִים (לא) [לוֹ־]הֵֽמָּה׃

[Even] the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him, and his friends certainly stay away from him, too; [even] if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends [again].

8 קֹֽנֶה־לֵּב אֹהֵב נַפְשׁוֹ שֹׁמֵר תְּבוּנָה לִמְצֹא־טֽוֹב׃

Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves; those who get good sense will prosper.

9 עֵד שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִנָּקֶה וְיָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים יֹאבֵֽד׃

Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT]; they will be ruined.

10 לֹא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל תַּעֲנוּג אַף כִּֽי־לְעֶבֶד ׀ מְשֹׁל בְּשָׂרִֽים׃

It is not appropriate for foolish people to live (luxuriously/like rich people), and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.

11 שֵׂכֶל אָדָם הֶאֱרִיךְ אַפּוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ עֲבֹר עַל־פָּֽשַׁע׃

Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry; people respect those who ignore offensive [things that people say to them].

12 נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר זַעַף מֶלֶךְ וּכְטַל עַל־עֵשֶׂב רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃

When a king is angry, [that causes people to be afraid of him], like the roar of a lion [causes people to be afraid] [SIM], but if he acts kindly toward people, [they like it just] like [they like] dew on the grass [in the morning].

13 הַוֺּת לְאָבִיו בֵּן כְּסִיל וְדֶלֶף טֹרֵד מִדְיְנֵי אִשָּֽׁה׃

Foolish children [can] cause disasters to happen to their parents. A wife who constantly (nags/quarrels with) [her husband is as annoying as] water that continually drips [MET].

14 בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת וּמֵיְהֹוָה אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּֽלֶת׃

We [can] inherit a house or money from our parents [when they die], but only Yahweh [can] give someone a sensible wife.

15 עַצְלָה תַּפִּיל תַּרְדֵּמָה וְנֶפֶשׁ רְמִיָּה תִרְעָֽב׃

Those who are lazy sleep soundly, but if they are lazy, they will be hungry [because of not earning money to buy food].

16 שֹׁמֵר מִצְוָה שֹׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹזֵה דְרָכָיו (יומת) [יָמֽוּת]׃

Those who obey [God’s] commandments will remain alive [for a long time]; those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die [while they are still young].

17 מַלְוֵה יְהֹוָה חוֹנֵֽן דָּל וּגְמֻלוֹ יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃

When we give things to poor [people], [it is as though] we are lending to Yahweh, and he will (pay us back/reward us for what we did).

18 יַסֵּר בִּנְךָ כִּֽי־יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה וְאֶל־הֲמִיתוֹ אַל־תִּשָּׂא נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

Discipline your children while [they are young], while you still hope that [they will learn to behave as they should]; [if you do not discipline them], you are helping them to destroy [themselves].

19 (גרל) [גְּֽדׇל־]חֵמָה נֹשֵׂא עֹנֶשׁ כִּי אִם־תַּצִּיל וְעוֹד תּוֹסִֽף׃

Those who (do not control their temper/quickly become very angry) will have to endure what happens as a result; [but] if we rescue them [from those troubles once], we will have to continue rescuing them.

20 שְׁמַע עֵצָה וְקַבֵּל מוּסָר לְמַעַן תֶּחְכַּם בְּאַחֲרִיתֶֽךָ׃

Pay attention when [people give you good] advice and learn from them, in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.

21 רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב־אִישׁ וַעֲצַת יְהֹוָה הִיא תָקֽוּם׃

People plan to do many [kinds of things], but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.

22 תַּאֲוַת אָדָם חַסְדּוֹ וְטֽוֹב־רָשׁ מֵאִישׁ כָּזָֽב׃

People want others to be loyal to them; it is better to be poor than to tell a lie [to a judge in court in order to get money].

23 יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לְחַיִּים וְשָׂבֵעַ יָלִין בַּל־יִפָּקֶד רָֽע׃

[Those who have] an awesome respect for Yahweh will live [a long life]; they rest peacefully and are not harmed [during the night].

24 טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת גַּם־אֶל־פִּיהוּ לֹא יְשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃

Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to take some food] but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.

25 לֵץ תַּכֶּה וּפֶתִי יַעְרִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְנָבוֹן יָבִין דָּֽעַת׃

If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who (are naive/need to be instructed) will learn to do what is smart; if you rebuke those who are wise, they will [listen to what you say and] become wiser.

26 מְֽשַׁדֶּד־אָב יַבְרִיחַ אֵם בֵּן מֵבִישׁ וּמַחְפִּֽיר׃

Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.

27 חֲֽדַל־בְּנִי לִשְׁמֹעַ מוּסָר לִשְׁגוֹת מֵאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

My son, if you stop learning things, you will [soon] forget what [you already] know.

28 עֵד בְּלִיַּעַל יָלִיץ מִשְׁפָּט וּפִי רְשָׁעִים יְבַלַּע־אָֽוֶן׃

Worthless witnesses [in court] make fun of [judges who try to] make fair decisions, and wicked people [enjoy] doing evil [like] they enjoy eating [good food] [MET].

29 נָכוֹנוּ לַלֵּצִים שְׁפָטִים וּמַהֲלֻמוֹת לְגֵו כְּסִילִֽים׃

[God] is ready to punish those who make fun [of him/religion]; those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.