< नीतिसूत्रे 21 >
1 १ राजाचे मन पाण्याच्या प्रवाहासारखे परमेश्वराच्या हातात आहे; तो त्यास वाटेल तेथे वळवतो.
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 २ प्रत्येक मनुष्याचे मार्ग त्याच्या दृष्टीने योग्य असतात, परंतु परमेश्वर अंतःकरणे तोलून पाहतो.
People always think that what they do is right, but Yahweh judges our (motives/reasons [for doing things)] [MTY].
3 ३ योग्य व न्याय करणे हे यज्ञापेक्षा परमेश्वरास अधिक मान्य आहेत.
Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh than [bringing] sacrifices [to him].
4 ४ घमेंडखोर दृष्टी व गर्विष्ठ मन दुर्जनांच्या शेतातील उपज हे पाप उत्पन्न करतात.
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 ५ परीश्रमपूर्वक केलेल्या योजनांमुळे भरभराट होते, परंतु जो घाईघाईने कृती करतो तो केवळ दरिद्री होतो.
People who plan carefully will surely have plenty [of what they need]; those who act too quickly [to become rich] will become poor.
6 ६ लबाड जिव्हेने मिळवलेली संपत्ती ही वाफेसारखी क्षणभंगुर आहे ती मरण शोधते.
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 ७ दुष्टांचा बलात्कार त्यांना झाडून टाकील, कारण ते न्याय करण्याचे नाकारतात.
Wicked [people] refuse to do what is right/just, but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.
8 ८ अपराधी मनुष्याचा मार्ग वाकडा असतो, पण जो शुद्ध आहे तो योग्य करतो.
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 ९ भांडखोर पत्नीबरोबर मोठ्या घरात राहाण्यापेक्षा, धाब्याच्या कोपऱ्यात राहणे अधिक चांगले.
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 १० दुष्टाचा जीव वाईटाची हाव धरतो; त्याच्या शेजाऱ्याला तो दया दाखवत नाही.
Wicked [people] [SYN] are always wanting [to do what is] evil; they never act mercifully toward anyone.
11 ११ जेव्हा निंदकास शासन होते तेव्हा अज्ञानी शहाणे होतात; आणि जेव्हा सुज्ञास शिक्षण मिळते तेव्हा त्याच्या ज्ञानात वाढ होते.
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 १२ नीतिमान दुष्टाच्या घराकडे लक्ष लावतो, तो दुष्टांचा नाश करण्यासाठी त्यांना उलथून टाकतो.
[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 १३ जो कोणी गरिबाची आरोळी ऐकत नाही, तोही आरोळी करील, पण कोणी ऐकणार नाही.
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 १४ गुप्तपणे दिलेली देणगी राग शांत करते, आणि दडवलेली देणगी तीव्र कोप दूर करते.
When someone is angry [with you], if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.
15 १५ योग्य न्यायाने नीतिमानाला आनंद होतो. पण तोच दुष्कर्म करणाऱ्यांवर फार मोठी भीती आणतो.
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 १६ जो कोणी ज्ञानाच्या मार्गापासून भटकतो, त्यास मरण पावलेल्यांच्या मंडळीत विसावा मिळेल.
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 १७ ज्याला ख्यालीखुशाली प्रिय आहे तो दरिद्री होतो; ज्याला द्राक्षरस आणि तेल प्रिय आहे तो श्रीमंत होणार नाही.
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 १८ जो कोणी चांगले करतो त्याची खंडणी दुर्जन आहे, आणि सरळांचा मोबदला विश्वासघातकी असतो.
Wicked [people] bring on themselves the sufferings that they were trying to cause righteous [people] to experience [DOU].
19 १९ भांडखोर आणि खूप तक्रार करून अशांती निर्माण करणाऱ्या पत्नीबरोबर राहाण्यापेक्षा वाळवंटात राहाणे अधिक चांगले.
It is better to live [alone] in a desert than [to live] with a wife who is [always] nagging and complaining.
20 २० सुज्ञाच्या घरात मोलवान खजिना आणि तेल आहेत, पण मूर्ख मनुष्य ते वाया घालवतो.
Wise people have many valuable things in their houses, but foolish people [quickly] spend/waste [all their money].
21 २१ जो कोणी नीतिमत्ता आणि दया करतो, त्यास आयुष्य, उन्नती आणि मान मिळेल.
Those who [always] try to act in a fair and kind way [toward others] will live [a long time] and be honored/respected.
22 २२ सुज्ञ मनुष्य बलवानांच्या नगराविरूद्ध चढतो, आणि तो त्यांच्या संरक्षणाचा आश्रयदुर्ग पाडून टाकतो.
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 २३ जो कोणी आपले तोंड व जीभ सांभाळतो, तो संकटापासून आपला जीव वाचवतो.
Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] are [able to] avoid trouble.
24 २४ गर्विष्ठ व घमेंडखोर मनुष्यास उद्दाम असे नाव आहे. तो गर्वाने उद्धट कृती करतो.
Those who make fun of [everything that is good] are proud and conceited [DOU]; they [always] act in an inconsiderate way [toward others].
25 २५ आळशाची वासना त्यास मारून टाकते; त्याचे हात काम करण्यास नकार देतात.
Lazy people, who refuse to work, [will] die [of hunger] because they [SYN] do not earn [money to buy food].
26 २६ तो सर्व दिवस हाव आणि अधिक हाव धरतो, परंतु नीतिमान देतो आणि मागे धरून ठेवत नाही.
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 २७ दुर्जनांचे यज्ञार्पण वीट आणणारे असते, तर मग तो यज्ञ दुष्ट हेतूने आणतो ते किती अधिक वीट असे आहे.
[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 २८ खोटा साक्षीदार नाश पावेल, पण जो कोणी ऐकतो त्याप्रमाणे सर्व वेळ तसे बोलतो.
Those who tell lies in court will be punished; no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.
29 २९ दुष्ट मनुष्य आपले मुख धीट करतो, पण सरळ मनुष्य आपल्या मार्गाचा नीट विचार करतो.
Wicked people pretend [that they know everything], but righteous people think carefully about [what will happen because of] what they do.
30 ३० परमेश्वराविरूद्ध शहाणपण, बुद्धि किंवा युक्ती ही मुळीच उभी राहू शकत नाहीत.
[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 ३१ लढाईच्या दिवसासाठी घोडा तयार करतात, पण तारण परमेश्वराकडून आहे.
We [can] get horses ready to fight in a battle, but Yahweh is the one who enables us to (win victories/defeat our enemies).