Amsal 21
1 Hati raja seperti batang air di dalam tangan TUHAN, dialirkan-Nya ke mana Ia ingini.
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 jalan orang adalah lurus menurut pandangannya sendiri, tetapi Tuhanlah yang menguji hati.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 Melakukan kebenaran dan keadilan lebih dikenan TUHAN dari pada korban.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Mata yang congkak dan hati yang sombong, yang menjadi pelita orang fasik, adalah dosa.
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 Rancangan orang rajin semata-mata mendatangkan kelimpahan, tetapi setiap orang yang tergesa-gesa hanya akan mengalami 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 Memperoleh harta benda dengan lidah dusta adalah kesia-siaan yang lenyap dari orang yang mencari maut.
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 fasik diseret oleh penganiayaan mereka, karena mereka menolak melakukan keadilan.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 Berliku-liku jalan si penipu, tetapi orang yang jujur lurus perbuatannya.
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 Lebih baik tinggal pada sudut sotoh rumah dari pada diam serumah dengan perempuan 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 Hati orang fasik mengingini kejahatan dan ia tidak menaruh belas kasihan kepada sesamanya.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Jikalau si pencemooh dihukum, orang yang tak berpengalaman menjadi bijak, dan jikalau orang bijak diberi pengajaran, ia akan beroleh pengetahuan.
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 Yang Mahaadil memperhatikan rumah orang fasik, dan menjerumuskan orang fasik ke dalam kecelakaan.
[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 menutup telinganya bagi jeritan orang lemah, tidak akan menerima jawaban, kalau ia sendiri berseru-seru.
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 Pemberian dengan sembunyi-sembunyi memadamkan marah, dan hadiah yang dirahasiakan meredakan kegeraman yang hebat.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Melakukan keadilan adalah kesukaan bagi orang benar, tetapi menakutkan orang yang berbuat jahat.
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 menyimpang dari jalan akal budi akan berhenti di tempat arwah-arwah berkumpul.
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 suka bersenang-senang akan berkekurangan, orang yang gemar kepada minyak dan anggur 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 Orang fasik dipakai sebagai tebusan bagi orang benar, dan pengkhianat sebagai ganti orang jujur.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Lebih baik tinggal di padang gurun dari pada tinggal dengan perempuan yang suka bertengkar dan pemarah.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Harta yang indah dan minyak ada di kediaman orang bijak, tetapi orang yang bebal memboroskannya.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Siapa mengejar kebenaran dan kasih akan memperoleh kehidupan, kebenaran dan kehormatan.
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 bijak dapat memanjat kota pahlawan-pahlawan, dan merobohkan benteng yang mereka percayai.
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 Siapa memelihara mulut dan lidahnya, memelihara diri dari pada kesukaran.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Orang yang kurang ajar dan sombong pencemooh namanya, ia berlaku dengan keangkuhan yang tak terhingga.
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 dibunuh oleh keinginannya, karena tangannya enggan bekerja.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Keinginan bernafsu sepanjang hari, tetapi orang benar memberi tanpa batas.
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 Korban orang fasik adalah kekejian, lebih-lebih kalau dipersembahkan dengan maksud jahat.
[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 Saksi bohong akan binasa, tetapi orang yang mendengarkan akan tetap berbicara.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Orang fasik bermuka tebal, tetapi orang jujur mengatur jalannya.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Tidak ada hikmat dan pengertian, dan tidak ada pertimbangan yang dapat menandingi 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 Kuda diperlengkapi untuk hari peperangan, tetapi kemenangan ada di tangan 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).
