Amsal 17
1 Lebih baik sekerat roti yang kering disertai dengan ketenteraman, dari pada makanan daging serumah disertai dengan perbantahan.
It is better [to eat] a dry piece [of bread] and not have strife/quarrels than to have a big feast in a house where [everyone] is quarreling.
2 Budak yang berakal budi akan berkuasa atas anak yang membuat malu, dan akan mendapat bagian warisan bersama-sama dengan saudara-saudara anak itu.
A slave who acts wisely will [some day] be the boss of his master’s disgraceful son and when his master dies, the slave will receive part of his master’s possessions.
3 Kui adalah untuk melebur perak dan perapian untuk melebur emas, tetapi Tuhanlah yang menguji hati.
[Workers put] silver and gold in a very hot furnace [to burn out what is impure], and Yahweh [similarly] examines people’s inner beings [to see if they are pure].
4 Orang yang berbuat jahat memperhatikan bibir jahat, seorang pendusta memberi telinga kepada lidah yang mencelakakan.
Those who do what is evil pay attention to people who say [MTY] what is evil, and liars pay attention to [other people’s] lies.
5 Siapa mengolok-olok orang miskin menghina Penciptanya; siapa gembira karena suatu kecelakaan tidak akan luput dari hukuman.
Those who make fun of poor [people] insult God, the one who made the poor [people], [and] those who are happy when [someone else has] troubles will certainly be punished [LIT] [by God].
6 Mahkota orang-orang tua adalah anak cucu dan kehormatan anak-anak ialah nenek moyang mereka.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Orang bebal tidak layak mengucapkan kata-kata yang bagus, apalagi orang mulia mengucapkan kata-kata dusta.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Hadiah suapan adalah seperti mestika di mata yang memberinya, ke mana juga ia memalingkan muka, ia beruntung.
People think that a bribe is like a magic stone [to persuade someone to do what they want him to do]; they think that because of the bribe, that person will do whatever they want him to do.
9 Siapa menutupi pelanggaran, mengejar kasih, tetapi siapa membangkit-bangki perkara, menceraikan sahabat yang karib.
If you want people to like/love you, forgive them for the wrong things that they do to you. If you continue to remind them about those wrong things, they will no longer be your friends.
10 Suatu hardikan lebih masuk pada orang berpengertian dari pada seratus pukulan pada orang bebal.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Orang durhaka hanya mencari kejahatan, tetapi terhadap dia akan disuruh utusan yang kejam.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Lebih baik berjumpa dengan beruang betina yang kehilangan anak, dari pada dengan orang bebal dengan kebodohannya.
A mother bear whose cubs have been taken away from her is dangerous, but it is more dangerous to confront a foolish person who is doing something foolish.
13 Siapa membalas kebaikan dengan kejahatan, kejahatan tidak akan menghindar dari rumahnya.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Memulai pertengkaran adalah seperti membuka jalan air; jadi undurlah sebelum perbantahan mulai.
Starting a quarrel is like allowing water to start to leak out of a dam; they both need to be stopped before they get worse.
15 Membenarkan orang fasik dan mempersalahkan orang benar, kedua-duanya adalah kekejian bagi TUHAN.
There are two things that Yahweh hates: (Condemning innocent [people]/Saying that people who have done nothing wrong must be punished), and declaring that people who have done wicked things should not be punished.
16 Apakah gunanya uang di tangan orang bebal untuk membeli hikmat, sedang ia tidak berakal budi?
It is useless to allow foolish people [RHQ] to try to become wise by paying for it, because they do not have enough good sense to become wise.
17 Seorang sahabat menaruh kasih setiap waktu, dan menjadi seorang saudara dalam kesukaran.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Orang yang tidak berakal budi ialah dia yang membuat persetujuan, yang menjadi penanggung bagi sesamanya.
[If someone borrows money from another person], it is foolish for you to promise [IDM] that you will pay the money back if that other person is unable to pay back the money that he borrowed.
19 Siapa suka bertengkar, suka juga kepada pelanggaran, siapa memewahkan pintunya mencari kehancuran.
Those who like to sin [also] like to cause strife/trouble; [and] those who build fancy doors in their houses [to show that they are very wealthy] (OR, speak proudly) are inviting disaster.
20 Orang yang serong hatinya tidak akan mendapat bahagia, orang yang memutar-mutar lidahnya akan jatuh ke dalam celaka.
Those who (have perverse minds/are always thinking about doing evil things) will not prosper, and disasters will happen to those who always tell lies.
21 Siapa mendapat anak yang bebal, mendapat duka, dan ayah orang bodoh tidak akan bersukacita.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Hati yang gembira adalah obat yang manjur, tetapi semangat yang patah mengeringkan tulang.
Being cheerful is [like swallowing] good medicine; being discouraged/gloomy [all the time will] (drain away your energy/cause you to become weak) [MTY].
23 Orang fasik menerima hadiah suapan dari pundi-pundi untuk membelokkan jalan hukum.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 Pandangan orang berpengertian tertuju pada hikmat, tetapi mata orang bebal melayang sampai ke ujung bumi.
Those who have good sense determine to do what is wise, but foolish people are always thinking about many different things [and never decide what they should do].
25 Anak yang bebal menyakiti hati ayahnya, dan memedihkan hati ibunya.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Mengenakan denda orang benar adalah salah, memukul orang muliapun tidak patut.
It is not right to force someone who has done nothing wrong to pay a fine; it is wrong to punish good/respected people.
27 Orang yang berpengetahuan menahan perkataannya, orang yang berpengertian berkepala dingin.
Those who have good sense do not talk a lot, and those who (control their tempers/keep themselves from becoming very angry) are [truly] wise.
28 Juga orang bodoh akan disangka bijak kalau ia berdiam diri dan disangka berpengertian kalau ia mengatupkan bibirnya.
People [may] think that foolish people who do not say anything are wise; if foolish people (do not say anything/keep their mouths shut), others will think that they are [very] intelligent.
