מִשְׁלֵי 21

1 פלגי מים לב מלך ביד יהוה על כל אשר יחפץ יטנו׃

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 כל דרך איש ישר בעיניו ותכן לבות יהוה׃

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

3 עשה צדקה ומשפט נבחר ליהוה מזבח׃

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

4 רום עינים ורחב לב נר רשעים חטאת׃

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 מחשבות חרוץ אך למותר וכל אץ אך למחסור׃

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

6 פעל אוצרות בלשון שקר הבל נדף מבקשי מות׃

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 שד רשעים יגורם כי מאנו לעשות משפט׃

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

8 הפכפך דרך איש וזר וזך ישר פעלו׃

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 טוב לשבת על פנת גג מאשת מדונים ובית חבר׃

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 נפש רשע אותה רע לא יחן בעיניו רעהו׃

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

11 בענש לץ יחכם פתי ובהשכיל לחכם יקח דעת׃

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 משכיל צדיק לבית רשע מסלף רשעים לרע׃

[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 אטם אזנו מזעקת דל גם הוא יקרא ולא יענה׃

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 מתן בסתר יכפה אף ושחד בחק חמה עזה׃

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

15 שמחה לצדיק עשות משפט ומחתה לפעלי און׃

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 אדם תועה מדרך השכל בקהל רפאים ינוח׃

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 איש מחסור אהב שמחה אהב יין ושמן לא יעשיר׃

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 כפר לצדיק רשע ותחת ישרים בוגד׃

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

19 טוב שבת בארץ מדבר מאשת מדונים וכעס׃

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

20 אוצר נחמד ושמן בנוה חכם וכסיל אדם יבלענו׃

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

21 רדף צדקה וחסד ימצא חיים צדקה וכבוד׃

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

22 עיר גברים עלה חכם וירד עז מבטחה׃

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 שמר פיו ולשונו שמר מצרות נפשו׃

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

24 זד יהיר לץ שמו עושה בעברת זדון׃

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

25 תאות עצל תמיתנו כי מאנו ידיו לעשות׃

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

26 כל היום התאוה תאוה וצדיק יתן ולא יחשך׃

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 זבח רשעים תועבה אף כי בזמה יביאנו׃

[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 עד כזבים יאבד ואיש שומע לנצח ידבר׃

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

29 העז איש רשע בפניו וישר הוא יכין דרכיו׃

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

30 אין חכמה ואין תבונה ואין עצה לנגד יהוה׃

[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 סוס מוכן ליום מלחמה וליהוה התשועה׃

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