Amsal 21
1 TUHAN berkuasa mengarahkan hati raja sesuai kehendak-Nya, seperti petani mengatur arah pengairan di sawahnya.
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 orang menganggap pilihan hidupnya baik, tetapi TUHANlah yang mengetahui dan menilai maksud hatinya.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 TUHAN lebih berkenan pada cara hidup yang adil dan benar daripada kurban persembahan.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 Sombong dan suka merendahkan orang lain— kedua sifat itu selalu membawa orang ke dalam kejahatan.
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 yang baik disertai kerja keras menghasilkan keuntungan. Bertindak terburu-buru tanpa pikir panjang menghasilkan kemiskinan.
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 akan cepat menguap dan mengantarkan pemiliknya pada kebinasaan.
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 tidak mau berbuat benar, dan kelakuan jahat mereka kelak menghancurkan dirinya 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 menyembunyikan dosa hidup berliku-liku, tetapi orang yang jujur hidupnya lurus dan benar.
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 hidup sendirian di kamar yang sempit daripada tinggal di rumah besar bersama 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 mencari kesempatan untuk menyakiti dan tak punya belas kasihan kepada siapa pun, bahkan temannya sendiri.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 Bila orang yang suka menghina dihajar, maka orang yang tak berpengalaman dapat mengambil pelajaran. Bila orang bijak ditegur, dia akan semakin bijak.
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 mengetahui segalanya, bahkan yang paling tersembunyi dalam kehidupan orang jahat, dan Dia akan menghancurkan mereka.
[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 yang tidak mau mendengar seruan orang miskin, kelak dia sendiri tidak akan didengar pada waktu berteriak minta tolong.
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 Amarah seseorang dapat diredakan dengan memberi hadiah kepadanya secara empat mata.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 Ketika keadilan ditegakkan, orang benar bersukacita, tetapi orang jahat ketakutan.
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 menggunakan akal sehatnya akan segera terkumpul bersama orang-orang bebal lain yang sudah lebih dulu 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 senang berfoya-foya akan jatuh miskin. Orang yang suka mabuk-mabukan dan bermewah-mewah tidak akan pernah 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 Karena TUHAN menjaga orang jujur, kejahatan yang direncanakan orang jahat kepada orang jujur justru menimpa dirinya sendiri.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 Lebih baik hidup sendirian di padang belantara daripada tinggal di rumah bersama istri yang suka bertengkar dan mengomel.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 Orang yang bijak mengatur persediaan harta dan makanan di rumahnya, tetapi orang bodoh tidak mengendalikan diri dan menghabiskan segala miliknya.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 Senantiasa lakukanlah apa yang benar dan baik bagi sesama, maka engkau akan panjang umur, hidup sejahtera, dan dihormati.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 Dengan kebijaksanaannya, orang bijak sanggup merebut kota orang-orang kuat dan meruntuhkan benteng pertahanan 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 Orang yang berbicara dengan hati-hati menjauhkan dirinya dari masalah.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 Orang yang angkuh, tinggi hati, besar mulut, dan selalu meremehkan orang, panggillah dia si sombong.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 Keinginan si pemalas terbawa sampai mati sebab dia tidak mau bekerja.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 Orang yang serakah selalu menginginkan lebih untuk dirinya sendiri, tetapi orang benar suka memberi dengan 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 jijik melihat kurban dari orang yang jahat, apalagi jika 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 yang berdusta akan dibinasakan, tetapi perkataan dari saksi yang dapat dipercaya akan diperhatikan dan diingat.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 Orang jahat berlagak berani, tetapi orang jujur mengatur langkahnya dengan benar.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 Tidak ada kebijaksanaan, pengertian, dan rancangan manusia yang sanggup melebihi hikmat 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 Pasukan raja mempersiapkan semua kuda dan kereta untuk bertempur, tetapi TUHANlah yang menentukan kemenangan.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).
