מִשְׁלֵי 11

1 מֹאזְנֵ֣י מִ֭רְמָה תֹּועֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶ֖בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֣ה רְצֹונֹֽו׃

Yahweh detests [people who use] scales that do not weigh correctly; he is delighted with [those who use] correct weights on the scales.

2 בָּֽא־זָ֭דֹון וַיָּבֹ֣א קָלֹ֑ון וְֽאֶת־צְנוּעִ֥ים חָכְמָֽה׃

[People who are] proud will [eventually] be disgraced; it is wise to be humble.

3 תֻּמַּ֣ת יְשָׁרִ֣ים תַּנְחֵ֑ם וְסֶ֖לֶף בֹּוגְדִ֣ים וְשַׁדָּם (יְשָׁדֵּֽם)׃

[People who are] good are guided by [doing what is] honest; those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.

4 לֹא־יֹועִ֣יל הֹ֭ון בְּיֹ֣ום עֶבְרָ֑ה וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה תַּצִּ֥יל מִמָּֽוֶת׃

[Your] money will not help [you] on the day that [God] judges [and punishes people]; but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.

5 צִדְקַ֣ת תָּ֭מִים תְּיַשֵּׁ֣ר דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָתֹ֗ו יִפֹּ֥ל רָשָֽׁע׃

When people are honest and good, that will (direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do); but wicked [people will] experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.

6 צִדְקַ֣ת יְ֭שָׁרִים תַּצִּילֵ֑ם וּ֝בְהַוַּ֗ת בֹּגְדִ֥ים יִלָּכֵֽדוּ׃

[God] rescues/protects righteous [people] because they (are honest/do what is right), but those who (are treacherous/cannot be trusted) will be trapped because of their being greedy.

7 בְּמֹ֤ות אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע תֹּאבַ֣ד תִּקְוָ֑ה וְתֹוחֶ֖לֶת אֹונִ֣ים אָבָֽדָה׃

When wicked [people] die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything [that is good]; they expect that [their money] will help/save them, but it will not.

8 צַ֭דִּיק מִצָּרָ֣ה נֶחֱלָ֑ץ וַיָּבֹ֖א רָשָׁ֣ע תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

[Yahweh] rescues righteous [people] from their troubles/difficulties; instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.

9 בְּפֶ֗ה חָ֭נֵף יַשְׁחִ֣ת רֵעֵ֑הוּ וּ֝בְדַ֗עַת צַדִּיקִ֥ים יֵחָלֵֽצוּ׃

Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY], but righteous [people will] be saved by [their (own] good sense/being wise).

10 בְּט֣וּב צַ֭דִּיקִים תַּעֲלֹ֣ץ קִרְיָ֑ה וּבַאֲבֹ֖ד רְשָׁעִ֣ים רִנָּֽה׃

When things go well for righteous [people], [the people in] [MTY] their city are happy, and they shout joyfully when wicked [people] die.

11 בְּבִרְכַּ֣ת יְ֭שָׁרִים תָּר֣וּם קָ֑רֶת וּבְפִ֥י רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים תֵּהָרֵֽס׃

When righteous [people request God to] bless a city, that city will become great, but cities are ruined by what wicked [people] say [MTY].

12 בָּז־לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב וְאִ֖ישׁ תְּבוּנֹ֣ות יַחֲרִֽישׁ׃

It is foolish to despise others; those who (have good sense/are wise) do not say anything [to criticize others].

13 הֹולֵ֣ךְ רָ֭כִיל מְגַלֶּה־סֹּ֑וד וְנֶאֱמַן־ר֝֗וּחַ מְכַסֶּ֥ה דָבָֽר׃

Those who (spread gossip/tell bad things about others) will tell your secrets [to others], but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets [to others].

14 בְּאֵ֣ין תַּ֭חְבֻּלֹות יִפָּל־עָ֑ם וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יֹועֵֽץ׃

A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have [leaders] who guide it [wisely]; but if there are many [good] advisors, the nation remains secure.

15 רַע־יֵ֭רֹועַ כִּי־עָ֣רַב זָ֑ר וְשֹׂנֵ֖א תֹקְעִ֣ים בֹּוטֵֽחַ׃

If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt [if he cannot pay it himself], you will regret it. You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.

16 אֵֽשֶׁת־חֵ֭ן תִּתְמֹ֣ךְ כָּבֹ֑וד וְ֝עָרִיצִ֗ים יִתְמְכוּ־עֹֽשֶׁר׃

[People] honor/respect women who are kind/gracious; ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, [but that is all that they will get].

17 גֹּמֵ֣ל נַ֭פְשֹׁו אִ֣ישׁ חָ֑סֶד וְעֹכֵ֥ר שְׁ֝אֵרֹ֗ו אַכְזָרִֽי׃

Those who are kind benefit themselves [because others will be kind to them], but those who are cruel will hurt themselves [because others will be cruel to them].

18 רָשָׁ֗ע עֹשֶׂ֥ה פְעֻלַּת־שָׁ֑קֶר וְזֹרֵ֥עַ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה שֶׂ֣כֶר אֱמֶֽת׃

If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them [because they will not keep it for very long], but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded [by God forever].

19 כֵּן־צְדָקָ֥ה לְחַיִּ֑ים וּמְרַדֵּ֖ף רָעָ֣ה לְמֹותֹֽו׃

Those who always do what is right will live [a long/happy life], but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live [very long].

20 תֹּועֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵ֑ב וּ֝רְצֹונֹ֗ו תְּמִ֣ימֵי דָֽרֶךְ׃

Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things, but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.

21 יָ֣ד לְ֭יָד לֹא־יִנָּ֣קֶה רָּ֑ע וְזֶ֖רַע צַדִּיקִ֣ים נִמְלָֽט׃

It is certain that [Yahweh] will punish evil people and that righteous people will escape [from being punished].

22 נֶ֣זֶם זָ֭הָב בְּאַ֣ף חֲזִ֑יר אִשָּׁ֥ה יָ֝פָ֗ה וְסָ֣רַת טָֽעַם׃

[It is] ([unsuitable/not proper/disgusting]) for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do, like [SIM] [it is unsuitable/disgusting] for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.

23 תַּאֲוַ֣ת צַדִּיקִ֣ים אַךְ־טֹ֑וב תִּקְוַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים עֶבְרָֽה׃

When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good [to them and to others], but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.

24 יֵ֣שׁ מְ֭פַזֵּר וְנֹוסָ֥ף עֹ֑וד וְחֹושֵׂ֥ךְ מִ֝יֹּ֗שֶׁר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹֽור׃

Some people give [their money] generously [to poor people], but they become richer [in spite of that], and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor [in spite of that].

25 נֶֽפֶשׁ־בְּרָכָ֥ה תְדֻשָּׁ֑ן וּ֝מַרְוֶ֗ה גַּם־ה֥וּא יֹורֶֽא׃

Those who give generously [to others] will prosper; if you help others, [they/someone] will help you, too.

26 מֹ֣נֵֽעַ בָּ֭ר יִקְּבֻ֣הוּ לְאֹ֑ום וּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ מַשְׁבִּֽיר׃

People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain [and does not sell it], waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it, but they praise someone who sells it [when people need it, even when the price is not high].

27 שֹׁ֣חֵֽר טֹ֭וב יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ רָצֹ֑ון וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ רָעָ֣ה תְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃

If you sincerely want to [do what is] right, [people] will respect you, but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.

28 בֹּוטֵ֣חַ בְּ֭עָשְׁרֹו ה֣וּא יִפֹּ֑ל וְ֝כֶעָלֶ֗ה צַדִּיקִ֥ים יִפְרָֽחוּ׃

Those who trust in their money will [disappear like the] withered [leaves that fall from the trees], but righteous [people] will keep going strong, like green leaves [in the summer].

29 עֹוכֵ֣ר בֵּ֭יתֹו יִנְחַל־ר֑וּחַ וְעֶ֥בֶד אֱ֝וִ֗יל לַחֲכַם־לֵֽב׃

Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] [from them], and those who do foolish things [like that] will [some day] become the servants of wise [people].

30 פְּֽרִי־צַ֭דִּיק עֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים וְלֹקֵ֖חַ נְפָשֹׂ֣ות חָכָֽם׃

Those who live righteously will live [for a long time], but [those who act] violently will destroy [their own] lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).

31 הֵ֣ן צַ֭דִּיק בָּאָ֣רֶץ יְשֻׁלָּ֑ם אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־רָשָׁ֥ע וְחֹוטֵֽא׃

[Sometimes] righteous [people] are rewarded [here] on the earth, but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] [will be rewarded by being punished].