מִשְׁלֵי 24
| אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לִהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃ | 1 |
Do not envy evil people; do not desire to associate with them,
| כִּי־שֹׁ֭ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃ | 2 |
because they are [constantly] thinking about acting violently, and whenever they speak [MTY], they talk about (causing trouble/hurting someone).
| בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃ | 3 |
People make good houses (OR, families) by doing what is wise, and they make their houses (OR, families) strong by [heeding] good advice.
| וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃ | 4 |
By using good sense, [they are able to buy] valuable and beautiful things and put them in the rooms of their houses.
| גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּע֑וֹז וְאִֽישׁ־דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃ | 5 |
Being wise is better than being strong/powerful; those who know [many things can accomplish more] than those who are [very] strong.
| כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יוֹעֵֽץ׃ | 6 |
Leaders can fight battles if they have wise advisors, and they win those battles if they have many good advisors.
| רָאמ֣וֹת לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל חָכְמ֑וֹת בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ׃ | 7 |
Foolish people cannot understand wise sayings/talk; at public meetings they are not [able to] say anything [that is useful].
| מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ ל֝֗וֹ בַּֽעַל־מְזִמּ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽאוּ׃ | 8 |
Those who are [always] planning to do evil things will be called troublemakers.
| זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃ | 9 |
It is sinful to plan to do foolish things, and people hate those who make fun of [everything that is good].
| הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃ | 10 |
If you [act as though] you are helpless when you have troubles, you are [truly very] weak.
| הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־תַּחְשֽׂוֹךְ׃ | 11 |
[If it is unjustly decided] that someone must be executed, [try hard to] rescue them [DOU].
| כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבּ֨וֹת ׀ הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
If you say, “I did not know anything about it, [so (it is not my concern/I did not try to help him)],” remember that God knows what we have done, and he knows what we were thinking [IDM, RHQ], and he will certainly [RHQ] repay us as we deserve for what we have done or for not doing what we should have done.
| אֱכָל־בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־ט֑וֹב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝ת֗וֹק עַל־חִכֶּֽךָ׃ | 13 |
My child/son, eat honey, because it is good [for you]; the honey that drips from honeycombs tastes [very] sweet.
| כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חָכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ פ | 14 |
Similarly, being wise is good for your soul; if you become wise, you will be [happy in] the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do [LIT].
| אַל־תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצוֹ׃ | 15 |
Do not be like wicked people who [hide and] wait to break into the houses of righteous/good [people] and rob/steal things.
| כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃ | 16 |
[Even if] good people fall down seven/many times, they [always] stand/get up again, but when a disaster happens to wicked [people], it ruins/destroys them.
| בִּנְפֹ֣ל אֽ֭וֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | 17 |
Do not be happy when something bad happens to one of your enemies; do not rejoice when he stumbles and falls,
| פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ׃ | 18 |
because Yahweh will know what you are thinking, and he will not like it, and [as a result] he will not punish that enemy of yours.
| אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים׃ | 19 |
Do not become angry/upset about those who do what is evil, and do not [SYN] envy them,
| כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃ | 20 |
because [nothing good] will happen to wicked people; they are [like] a lamp that will soon be extinguished [MET].
| יְרָֽא־אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־שׁ֝וֹנִ֗ים אַל־תִּתְעָרָֽב׃ | 21 |
My child/son, revere Yahweh and [also] honor the king, and do not associate with people who want to rebel against either of them,
| כִּֽי־פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יוֹדֵֽעַ׃ ס | 22 |
because those people will suddenly experience disasters; and no one knows [RHQ] what great disasters that God or the king can cause to happen to them.
| גַּם־אֵ֥לֶּה לַֽחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־טֽוֹב׃ | 23 |
Here are more things that wise [people] have said: It is wrong for judges to decide matters unfairly [IDM].
| אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֪יק אָ֥תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃ | 24 |
If they say to people who are guilty, “You (are innocent/have not done something that is wrong),” [even] people in other nations will curse and despise them,
| וְלַמּוֹכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַֽ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּב֥וֹא בִרְכַּת־טֽוֹב׃ | 25 |
but if judges say that guilty people must be punished, things will go well for those judges, and (they will receive blessings/God will bless them).
| שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃ | 26 |
Those who answer others honestly show that they are truly their friends [IDM].
| הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פ | 27 |
First, do the work [that needs to be done] outside [your house], and prepare your fields, [and then plant things], and after you finish doing that, build your house.
| אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃ | 28 |
[In the courtroom] do not testify against someone when you have no reason to do that, and do not [try to] deceive [people] by what you say [MTY].
| אַל־תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לּ֑וֹ אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃ | 29 |
Do not say, “I will do to him what he did to me; I will pay him back for [the bad things that] he did to me.”
| עַל־שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃ | 30 |
One day I walked by the vineyards of a lazy man, a man who did not have good sense.
| וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלּ֨וֹ ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃ | 31 |
I was surprised to see that the fields were full of all kinds of thorny bushes, and the stone wall [around the garden] had (collapsed/fallen down).
| וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃ | 32 |
When I saw that, I thought about it, and I learned this:
| מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃ | 33 |
[If you spend a lot of time] sleeping and napping and folding your hands while you rest,
| וּבָֽא־מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ | 34 |
[soon] you will become poor; [it will be as though] [PRS, SIM] a bandit who had a weapon in his hand [attacked you and stole all that you had].
