Amsal 21
1 Sama seperti TUHAN mengatur air sungai supaya mengalir menurut kehendak-Nya, begitu juga Ia membimbing pikiran raja.
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 Setiap perbuatan orang mungkin baik dalam pandangannya sendiri, tapi Tuhanlah yang menilai maksud hatinya.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Perbuatan yang adil dan benar lebih menyenangkan TUHAN daripada segala persembahan.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Orang jahat itu berdosa, karena dikuasai oleh keangkuhan dan kesombongannya.
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 Rencana orang rajin membawa kelimpahan; tindakan tergesa-gesa mengakibatkan kekurangan.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 Kekayaan yang diperoleh dengan tidak jujur cepat hilang dan membawa orang ke liang kubur.
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 Orang jahat tak mau mengikuti hukum; ia tersiksa oleh kekejamannya sendiri.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Orang yang bersalah, berliku-liku jalannya; orang yang baik selalu jujur hidupnya.
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 Tinggal di sudut loteng lebih menyenangkan daripada tinggal serumah dengan istri yang suka bertengkar.
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 Orang jahat selalu ingin melakukan kejahatan; terhadap siapa pun ia tidak punya belas kasihan.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Hukuman bagi pencemooh menjadi pelajaran bagi orang yang tak berpengalaman. Kalau orang berbudi ditegur, ia akan bertambah bijaksana.
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 Allah Yang Mahaadil tahu apa yang terjadi di dalam rumah orang durhaka. Ia akan menjerumuskan mereka sehingga mereka binasa.
[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 Siapa tidak mau mendengar keluhan orang yang berkekurangan tidak akan diperhatikan bila ia sendiri minta pertolongan.
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 Untuk meredakan marah dan geram, berilah hadiah secara diam-diam.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Kalau keadilan dijalankan, maka orang baik merasa senang, tetapi orang jahat merasa terancam.
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 Orang yang tidak mengikuti cara hidup yang berbudi, pasti akan sampai di dunia orang mati.
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 Orang yang gemar bersenang-senang akan tetap berkekurangan; orang yang suka berfoya-foya tidak akan menjadi kaya.
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 Jika masyarakat dihukum TUHAN, bukan orang baik, melainkan orang jahat yang mendapat kesusahan.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Lebih baik tinggal di padang belantara, daripada tinggal dengan istri yang suka mengomel dan marah-marah.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Orang bijaksana tetap makmur dan kaya; tetapi orang bodoh memboroskan hartanya.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Siapa berusaha agar keadilan dan cinta kasih dilaksanakan, akan mendapat kesejahteraan, kehormatan dan umur yang panjang.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Orang yang cerdik sanggup merebut kota yang dijaga tentara yang perkasa; ia meruntuhkan benteng-benteng yang mereka andalkan.
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 Untuk menghindari kesukaran, hendaklah berhati-hati dengan ucapan.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Orang sombong dan tinggi hati suka mencela dan kurang ajar.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Si pemalas yang tak mau bekerja; membunuh dirinya dengan keinginannya.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Sepanjang hari ia hanya memikirkan tentang apa yang ia inginkan. Sebaliknya, orang yang lurus hidupnya dapat memberi dengan berlimpah-limpah.
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 TUHAN tidak senang dengan persembahan orang durhaka, lebih-lebih kalau dipersembahkan dengan maksud yang tercela.
[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 Kesaksian pendusta tidak akan dipercaya; tapi ucapan orang yang tahu seluk beluk perkara, akan diterima.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Orang jujur yakin akan dirinya; orang jahat bermuka tebal.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Tidak ada kepintaran, kecerdasan atau kebijaksanaan yang dapat bertahan di hadapan TUHAN.
[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 Sekalipun pertempuran diperlengkapi dengan kuda perang, yang menentukan kemenangan adalah TUHAN.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
