Proverbiorum 17
1 Melior est buccella sicca cum gaudio, quam domus plena victimis cum iurgio.
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 Servus sapiens dominabitur filiis stultis, et inter fratres hereditatem dividet.
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 Sicut igne probatur argentum, et aurum camino: ita corda probat Dominus.
[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 Malus obedit linguæ iniquæ: et fallax obtemperat labiis mendacibus.
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 Qui despicit pauperem, exprobrat Factori eius: et qui ruina lætatur alterius, non erit impunitus.
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 Corona senum filii filiorum: et gloria filiorum patres eorum.
Old [people] are [usually] proud of [MET] their grandchildren, [just like] children are [usually] proud of their parents.
7 Non decent stultum verba composita: nec principem labium mentiens.
Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say, just like lies are not suitable for rulers [to say].
8 Gemma gratissima, expectatio præstolantis: quocumque se vertit, prudenter intelligit.
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 Qui celat delictum, quærit amicitias: qui altero sermone repetit, separat fœderatos.
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 Plus proficit correptio apud prudentem, quam centum plagæ apud stultum.
Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them than hitting them 100 times [with a stick].
11 Semper iurgia quærit malus: Angelus autem crudelis mittetur contra eum.
[Because] wicked people are always trying to cause trouble, someone will be sent to severely punish them.
12 Expedit magis ursæ occurrere raptis fœtibus, quam fatuo confidenti in stultitia sua.
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 Qui reddit mala pro bonis, non recedet malum de domo eius.
If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him, evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.
14 Qui dimittit aquam, caput est iurgiorum: et antequam patiatur contumeliam, iudicium deserit.
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 Qui iustificat impium, et qui condemnat iustum, abominabilis est uterque apud Deum.
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 Quid prodest stulto habere divitias, cum sapientiam emere non possit? Qui altum facit domum suam, quærit ruinam: et qui evitat discere, incidet in mala.
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 Omni tempore diligit qui amicus est: et frater in angustiis comprobatur.
Friends love [others] all the time, and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.
18 Stultus homo plaudet manibus cum spoponderit pro amico suo.
[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 Qui meditatur discordias, diligit rixas: et qui exaltat ostium, quærit ruinam.
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 Qui perversi cordis est, non inveniet bonum: et qui vertit linguam, incidet in malum.
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 Natus est stultus in ignominiam suam: sed nec pater in fatuo lætabitur.
Children who are foolish [soon] cause their parents to be very sad; their parents will not be joyful at all.
22 Animus gaudens ætatem floridam facit: spiritus tristis exiccat ossa.
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 Munera de sinu impius accipit, ut pervertat semitas iudicii.
Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly, and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.
24 In facie prudentis lucet sapientia: oculi stultorum in finibus terræ.
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 Ira patris, filius stultus: et dolor matris quæ genuit eum.
Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad and [also] cause their mother to be very sorrowful.
26 Non est bonum, damnum inferre iusto: nec percutere principem, qui recta iudicat.
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 Qui moderatur sermones suos, doctus et prudens est: et pretiosi spiritus vir eruditus.
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 Stultus quoque si tacuerit, sapiens reputabitur: et si compresserit labia sua, intelligens.
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.
