מִשְׁלֵי 16

1 לְאָדָ֥ם מַֽעַרְכֵי־לֵ֑ב וּ֝מֵיְהוָ֗ה מַעֲנֵ֥ה לָשֽׁוֹן׃

People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.

2 כָּֽל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֭ישׁ זַ֣ךְ בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְתֹכֵ֖ן רוּח֣וֹת יְהוָֽה׃

People may think that their actions are right, but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.

3 גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝יִכֹּ֗נוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

(Request/Rely on) Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; [if you do that], you will succeed in what you plan.

4 כֹּ֤ל פָּעַ֣ל יְ֭הוָה לַֽמַּעֲנֵ֑הוּ וְגַם־רָ֝שָׁ֗ע לְי֣וֹם רָעָֽה׃

Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does; he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.

5 תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה כָּל־גְּבַהּ־לֵ֑ב יָ֥ד לְ֝יָ֗ד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃

Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM]; you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].

6 בְּחֶ֣סֶד וֶ֭אֱמֶת יְכֻפַּ֣ר עָוֹ֑ן וּבְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה ס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃

Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully [obey] him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned. If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).

7 בִּרְצ֣וֹת יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ גַּם־א֝וֹיְבָ֗יו יַשְׁלִ֥ם אִתּֽוֹ׃

When our behavior pleases Yahweh, he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.

8 טוֹב־מְ֭עַט בִּצְדָקָ֑ה מֵרֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.

9 לֵ֣ב אָ֭דָם יְחַשֵּׁ֣ב דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה יָכִ֥ין צַעֲדֽוֹ׃

People plan what they want to do, but Yahweh directs/determines what they will [really] be able to do.

10 קֶ֤סֶם ׀ עַֽל־שִׂפְתֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לֹ֣א יִמְעַל־פִּֽיו׃

[If] God directs what a king says, what he decides is [always] right/fair.

11 פֶּ֤לֶס ׀ וּמֹאזְנֵ֣י מִ֭שְׁפָּט לַֽיהוָ֑ה מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ כָּל־אַבְנֵי־כִֽיס׃

Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct; the weights in his bag are correct, [because] he made them.

12 תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת מְ֭לָכִים עֲשׂ֣וֹת רֶ֑שַׁע כִּ֥י בִ֝צְדָקָ֗ה יִכּ֥וֹן כִּסֵּֽא׃

Kings detest those who do evil, because [it is people doing what] is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.

13 רְצ֣וֹן מְ֭לָכִים שִׂפְתֵי־צֶ֑דֶק וְדֹבֵ֖ר יְשָׁרִ֣ים יֶאֱהָֽב׃

Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true; they love those who say what is right/honest.

14 חֲמַת־מֶ֥לֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי־מָ֑וֶת וְאִ֖ישׁ חָכָ֣ם יְכַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃

If a king becomes angry, he [may] command that someone be executed, [so] wise people will [try to] cause him to be calm.

15 בְּאוֹר־פְּנֵי־מֶ֥לֶךְ חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝רְצוֹנ֗וֹ כְּעָ֣ב מַלְקֽוֹשׁ׃

If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a [long] life (OR, he will not order people to be executed); his being pleased [with people] is [as delightful] as rain in the springtime [when seeds are planted].

16 קְֽנֹה־חָכְמָ֗ה מַה־טּ֥וֹב מֵחָר֑וּץ וּקְנ֥וֹת בִּ֝ינָ֗ה נִבְחָ֥ר מִכָּֽסֶף׃

Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold; getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.

17 מְסִלַּ֣ת יְ֭שָׁרִים ס֣וּר מֵרָ֑ע שֹׁמֵ֥ר נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ נֹצֵ֥ר דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil; those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.

18 לִפְנֵי־שֶׁ֥בֶר גָּא֑וֹן וְלִפְנֵ֥י כִ֝שָּׁל֗וֹן גֹּ֣בַהּ רֽוּחַ׃

Being proud will (lead to your having/cause you to have) disasters; despising others will result in your being ruined.

19 ט֣וֹב שְׁפַל־ר֭וּחַ אֶת־עֲנָוִ֑ים מֵֽחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁ֝לָ֗ל אֶת־גֵּאִֽים׃

It is better to be humble and poor than [to associate with] proud [people] and [to become rich by] dividing with them (plunder/goods captured in a battle).

20 מַשְׂכִּ֣יל עַל־דָּ֭בָר יִמְצָא־ט֑וֹב וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ בַּיהוָ֣ה אַשְׁרָֽיו׃

Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper; happy are those who trust in Yahweh.

21 לַחֲכַם־לֵ֭ב יִקָּרֵ֣א נָב֑וֹן וּמֶ֥תֶק שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם יֹסִ֥יף לֶֽקַח׃

People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior, and those who talk pleasantly [are able to] influence others [to do what is right].

22 מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים שֵׂ֣כֶל בְּעָלָ֑יו וּמוּסַ֖ר אֱוִלִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

Being wise is [like having] a fountain that gives life [MET], but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.

23 לֵ֣ב חָ֭כָם יַשְׂכִּ֣יל פִּ֑יהוּ וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו יֹסִ֥יף לֶֽקַח׃

Those who are wise think carefully before they talk, and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others [to do what is right].

24 צוּף־דְּ֭בַשׁ אִמְרֵי־נֹ֑עַם מָת֥וֹק לַ֝נֶּפֶשׁ וּמַרְפֵּ֥א לָעָֽצֶם׃

Kind words are like honey [SIM]: We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.

25 יֵ֤שׁ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יָ֭שָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right, but (walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things) causes those people to die.

26 נֶ֣פֶשׁ עָ֭מֵל עָ֣מְלָה לּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־אָכַ֖ף עָלָ֣יו פִּֽיהוּ׃

If a worker (has an appetite/is hungry), that urges him to work hard because he [SYN] wants to [earn money to buy things to] eat.

27 אִ֣ישׁ בְּ֭לִיַּעַל כֹּרֶ֣ה רָעָ֑ה וְעַל־שְׂ֝פָת֗וֹ כְּאֵ֣שׁ צָרָֽבֶת׃

Worthless people plan [ways to cause] trouble [for others], and [even] what they say [injures people] like a hot fire does [SIM].

28 אִ֣ישׁ תַּ֭הְפֻּכוֹת יְשַׁלַּ֣ח מָד֑וֹן וְ֝נִרְגָּ֗ן מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃

Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people; those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.

29 אִ֣ישׁ חָ֭מָס יְפַתֶּ֣ה רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝הוֹלִיכ֗וֹ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ לֹא־טֽוֹב׃

Those who act violently entice/encourage others [to also act violently] and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.

30 עֹצֶ֣ה עֵ֭ינָיו לַחְשֹׁ֣ב תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת קֹרֵ֥ץ שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו כִּלָּ֥ה רָעָֽה׃

People [sometimes] show with [one of] their eyes [to signal to their friends that they are] planning to do something to harm [others]; they smirk when they are about to do something evil.

31 עֲטֶ֣רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת שֵׂיבָ֑ה בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ צְ֝דָקָ֗ה תִּמָּצֵֽא׃

Gray hair is [like] a glorious crown [MET] that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.

32 ט֤וֹב אֶ֣רֶךְ אַ֭פַּיִם מִגִּבּ֑וֹר וּמֹשֵׁ֥ל בְּ֝רוּח֗וֹ מִלֹּכֵ֥ד עִֽיר׃

Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful; it is better to (control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry) than to conquer a city.

33 בַּ֭חֵיק יוּטַ֣ל אֶת־הַגּוֹרָ֑ל וּ֝מֵיְהוָ֗ה כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטֽוֹ׃

People (cast lots/throw marked stones) [to decide what should be done], but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.