מִשְׁלֵי 22
| נבחר שם מעשר רב מכסף ומזהב חן טוב׃ | 1 |
(Having a good reputation/Being honored by people) is better than having a lot of money; being well respected is better than having plenty of gold or silver [DOU].
| עשיר ורש נפגשו עשה כלם יהוה׃ | 2 |
There is one thing that is true about both rich people and poor people: Yahweh is the one who created all of them.
| ערום ראה רעה ויסתר ופתיים עברו ונענשו׃ | 3 |
Those who have good sense realize [that there is something] dangerous ahead, and they avoid it; those who do not have good sense just keep going and later they will suffer because of doing that.
| עקב ענוה יראת יהוה עשר וכבוד וחיים׃ | 4 |
The reward that Yahweh gives to those who are humble and who revere him is that he causes them to be rich and honored and to live for a long time.
| צנים פחים בדרך עקש שומר נפשו ירחק מהם׃ | 5 |
Because of the things that wicked people do, [they have difficulties/troubles] that will be like thorns and traps on the roads that they walk on [MET]; people who are careful/cautious will be able to stay away from those difficulties.
| חנך לנער על פי דרכו גם כי יזקין לא יסור ממנה׃ | 6 |
If you train/teach children to do what is right, all during their life they will act/behave in that manner.
| עשיר ברשים ימשול ועבד לוה לאיש מלוה׃ | 7 |
Rich people rule over poor people harshly, and those who borrow money become like slaves [MET] of the people who lend [money to them].
| זורע עולה יקצור און ושבט עברתו יכלה׃ | 8 |
[If you plant corn or rice, corn or rice will grow]; [similarly], if you act unjustly, you will have disasters [MET]; and if you try to harm/oppress people [because you are angry with them], you will not be able to harm them.
| טוב עין הוא יברך כי נתן מלחמו לדל׃ | 9 |
[God] will bless those who are generous [IDM], those who give some of their food to poor [people].
| גרש לץ ויצא מדון וישבת דין וקלון׃ | 10 |
If you get rid of those who make fun of [everything that is good], there will no more arguing or quarreling or insulting [other people].
| אהב טהור לב חן שפתיו רעהו מלך׃ | 11 |
If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly, the king will be your friend.
| עיני יהוה נצרו דעת ויסלף דברי בגד׃ | 12 |
Yahweh [SYN] (watches over/takes care of) [those who have] good understanding/sense, but he ruins the plans/affairs of those who always try to deceive others.
| אמר עצל ארי בחוץ בתוך רחבות ארצח׃ | 13 |
Lazy people [remain in their houses]; they say, “A lion might attack me if I go out into the street [to go to work]!”
| שוחה עמקה פי זרות זעום יהוה יפול שם׃ | 14 |
What (wives who commit adultery/immoral women) say [to men] [MTY] is [like] a deep pit [MET] [into which those men fall]; those with whom Yahweh is angry will fall into that pit.
| אולת קשורה בלב נער שבט מוסר ירחיקנה ממנו׃ | 15 |
Children [SYN] naturally do things that are foolish, but if you punish/spank them [PRS], they [will] (stop doing foolish things/learn to behave as they should).
| עשק דל להרבות לו נתן לעשיר אך למחסור׃ | 16 |
Those who oppress poor [people] in order to become rich, and those who give [a bribe] to rich [people in order that the rich people will do a favor for them], will just lose their money.
| הט אזנך ושמע דברי חכמים ולבך תשית לדעתי׃ | 17 |
[Now] listen [MTY] to what wise [people] have said; think carefully about what I am teaching you.
| כי נעים כי תשמרם בבטנך יכנו יחדו על שפתיך׃ | 18 |
It will be good to (keep these things in your minds/always remember them), because if you do that, you will be able to quote/recite them [to others].
| להיות ביהוה מבטחך הודעתיך היום אף אתה׃ | 19 |
[I want you to] trust in Yahweh, and that is the reason that I am telling them to you, now.
| הלא כתבתי לך שלשום במועצות ודעת׃ | 20 |
I have written [RHQ] 30 (sayings/things that wise people have said) from which you will receive good advice and you will be able you to know [many good/useful things].
| להודיעך קשט אמרי אמת להשיב אמרים אמת לשלחיך׃ | 21 |
From them, you will learn what is right and what is true, in order that you will be able to bring back a good report to those who sent you [to school] (OR, give a good answer [to those who ask you questions]).
| אל תגזל דל כי דל הוא ואל תדכא עני בשער׃ | 22 |
[It is easy to] rob poor [people] who are helpless [and cannot defend themselves, but] never [do that]; and do not oppress in court those who are needy/afflicted,
| כי יהוה יריב ריבם וקבע את קבעיהם נפש׃ | 23 |
because Yahweh will speak to defend them, and he will punish those who steal things from others—by causing them to die.
| אל תתרע את בעל אף ואת איש חמות לא תבוא׃ | 24 |
Do not become friends with those who often become angry, and do not associate with those who cannot control their temper/anger,
| פן תאלף ארחתו ולקחת מוקש לנפשך׃ | 25 |
because you might start to act like they do and not be able to stop doing that.
| אל תהי בתקעי כף בערבים משאות׃ | 26 |
If someone borrows money, do not be one of those who promises to pay what that person owes he cannot pay it back,
| אם אין לך לשלם למה יקח משכבך מתחתיך׃ | 27 |
because if you cannot pay it back, people will surely [RHQ] [come and] take away [everything you own], even your bed.
| אל תסג גבול עולם אשר עשו אבותיך׃ | 28 |
Do not [steal some of your neighbors’ land by] removing the boundary lines/markers that your ancestors placed/set.
| חזית איש מהיר במלאכתו לפני מלכים יתיצב בל יתיצב לפני חשכים׃ | 29 |
Know/Learn [RHQ] this about those who do their work very skillfully: They will quit working for ordinary people and will start working for kings [because the kings will want people like that to work for them].
