מִשְׁלֵי 21

1 פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם לֶב־מֶלֶךְ בְּיַד־יְהֹוָה עַֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַטֶּֽנּוּ׃

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 כׇּֽל־דֶּרֶךְ־אִישׁ יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן לִבּוֹת יְהֹוָֽה׃

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

3 עֲשֹׂה צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט נִבְחָר לַיהֹוָה מִזָּֽבַח׃

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

4 רוּם־עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב־לֵב נִר רְשָׁעִים חַטָּֽאת׃

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 מַחְשְׁבוֹת חָרוּץ אַךְ־לְמוֹתָר וְכׇל־אָץ אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

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

6 פֹּעַל אֹצָרוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר הֶבֶל נִדָּף מְבַקְשֵׁי־מָֽוֶת׃

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 שֹׁד־רְשָׁעִים יְגוֹרֵם כִּי מֵאֲנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

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

8 הֲפַכְפַּךְ דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ וָזָר וְזַךְ יָשָׁר פׇּעֳלֽוֹ׃

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 טוֹב לָשֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת מִדְיָנִים וּבֵית חָֽבֶר׃

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 נֶפֶשׁ רָשָׁע אִוְּתָה־רָע לֹֽא־יֻחַן בְּעֵינָיו רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

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

11 בַּֽעֲנׇשׁ־לֵץ יֶחְכַּם־פֶּתִי וּבְהַשְׂכִּיל לְחָכָם יִקַּח־דָּֽעַת׃

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 מַשְׂכִּיל צַדִּיק לְבֵית רָשָׁע מְסַלֵּף רְשָׁעִים לָרָֽע׃

[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 אֹטֵם אׇזְנוֹ מִזַּעֲקַת־דָּל גַּֽם־הוּא יִקְרָא וְלֹא יֵעָנֶֽה׃

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 מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה־אָף וְשֹׁחַד בַּחֵק חֵמָה עַזָּֽה׃

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

15 שִׂמְחָה לַצַּדִּיק עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וּמְחִתָּה לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

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 אָדָם תּוֹעֶה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשְׂכֵּל בִּקְהַל רְפָאִים יָנֽוּחַ׃

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 אִישׁ מַחְסוֹר אֹהֵב שִׂמְחָה אֹהֵב יַֽיִן־וָשֶׁמֶן לֹא יַעֲשִֽׁיר׃

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 כֹּפֶר לַצַּדִּיק רָשָׁע וְתַחַת יְשָׁרִים בּוֹגֵֽד׃

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

19 טוֹב שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְבָּר מֵאֵשֶׁת (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים] וָכָֽעַס׃

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

20 אוֹצָר ׀ נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם וּכְסִיל אָדָם יְבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃

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

21 רֹדֵף צְדָקָה וָחָסֶד יִמְצָא חַיִּים צְדָקָה וְכָבֽוֹד׃

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

22 עִיר גִּבֹּרִים עָלָה חָכָם וַיֹּרֶד עֹז מִבְטֶחָֽהֿ׃

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 שֹׁמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שֹׁמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

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

24 זֵד יָהִיר לֵץ שְׁמוֹ עוֹשֶׂה בְּעֶבְרַת זָדֽוֹן׃

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

25 תַּאֲוַת עָצֵל תְּמִיתֶנּוּ כִּֽי־מֵאֲנוּ יָדָיו לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

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

26 כׇּל־הַיּוֹם הִתְאַוָּה תַאֲוָה וְצַדִּיק יִתֵּן וְלֹא יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

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 זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תּוֹעֵבָה אַף כִּֽי־בְזִמָּה יְבִיאֶֽנּוּ׃

[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 עֵד־כְּזָבִים יֹאבֵד וְאִישׁ שׁוֹמֵעַ לָנֶצַח יְדַבֵּֽר׃

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

29 הֵעֵז אִישׁ רָשָׁע בְּפָנָיו וְיָשָׁר הוּא ׀ (יכין דרכיו) [יָבִין דַּרְכּֽוֹ]׃

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

30 אֵין חׇכְמָה וְאֵין תְּבוּנָה וְאֵין עֵצָה לְנֶגֶד יְהֹוָֽה׃

[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 סוּס מוּכָן לְיוֹם מִלְחָמָה וְלַיהֹוָה הַתְּשׁוּעָֽה׃

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