Wise sayings from Solomon

10 These are more proverbs/wise sayings from Solomon:

If children are wise, they cause their parents to be happy;

but if children are foolish, they cause their parents to be very sad.

2 Money that you get by doing dishonest/wicked things will really not benefit you;

but by living righteously you will live for ◄a long time/many years►.

3 Yahweh does not allow righteous people to starve,

but he will prevent wicked people from getting what they want.

4 Lazy people soon become poor;

it is those who work hard who become rich.

5 Those who are wise, harvest the crops when they are ripe;

it is shameful/disgraceful to sleep and not work during harvest time.

6 Righteous people will be blessed by God;

the nice things that wicked people say [MTY] sometimes conceal the fact that they are planning to act violently.

7 After righteous people die, other people are blessed as they remember what those people did before they died;

but we will soon forget wicked people [MTY] after they die.

8 Wise people heed good instruction/advice,

but people who talk foolishly will ruin themselves.

9 Honest people will be safe,

but others (OR, God) will find out those who are dishonest.

10 Those who signal with their eyes that they are about to do something that is wrong cause trouble,

but those who rebuke others truthfully cause them to be peaceful.

11 What righteous people say [MTY] is like a fountain that ◄gives life/enables people to live many years► [MET],

but what wicked people say [MTY] hides the fact that they intend to act violently.

12 When we hate others, it causes quarrels,

but if we love others, we forgive them for the wrong things that they do.

13 Those who have good sense say [MTY] what is wise,

but people who do not have good sense must be punished.

14 Wise people continue to learn all that they can,

but when foolish people speak, they soon cause trouble.

15 The wealth that rich people have protects them like a city is protected by a strong wall around it [MET],

but people who are poor suffer much because they have no one to help them.

16 If you are righteous, your reward will be a good life,

but all that sinful people gain is to sin more.

17 Those who pay attention when others try to ◄correct them/teach them what they are doing that is wrong► will live ◄happily/for many years►;

but those who reject being rebuked will not find the road to life (OR, cause others to go astray).

18 Those who will not admit that they hate others are liars,

and those who slander others are foolish.

19 When people talk a lot, that will lead them to sin a lot by what they say;

if you are wise, you will refuse to say very much.

20 What righteous/good people say [MTY] is as valuable as pure silver [MET];

what wicked people think is worthless.

21 What righteous people say [MTY] benefits many people,

but foolish people die because of the stupid things that they do.

22 Yahweh blesses some people by enabling them to become rich,

and working hard will not make them to become richer (OR, and he will not also cause them to become sad).

23 Foolish people ◄have fun/enjoy► doing what is wrong,

but wise/sensible people enjoy doing what is wise.

24 Righteous people will get the good things that they want/desire,

but what wicked people are afraid of is what will happen to them.

25 When storms come, the wicked will ◄be blown away/never be safe►,

but righteous people will be safe forever.

26 We do not like a lazy person who refuses to do the job that he is given to do,

just like we do not like vinegar in our mouths or smoke in our eyes.

27 If you revere Yahweh, you will live for a long time;

but wicked people die before they become old.

28 Righteous people confidently expect that good things will happen to them, and that causes them to be happy/joyful;

but when wicked people confidently expect something good to happen, it does not happen.

29 Yahweh protects [MET] those who live righteously,

but he destroys those who do what is evil.

30 Righteous people will always be secure [LIT],

but wicked people will be removed from their land (OR, from this earth).

31 Righteous people [MTY] say things that are wise,

but God will shut the mouths of people [MTY] who say what is not true.

32 Righteous people [MTY] know what to say that is acceptable,

but wicked people [MTY] are constantly saying things that are not true.

11 Yahweh detests people who use scales that do not weigh correctly;

he is delighted with those who use correct weights on the scales.

2  People who are proud will eventually be disgraced;

it is wise to be humble.

3  People who are good are guided by doing what is honest;

those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.

4  Your money will not help you on the day that God judges and punishes people;

but if you live righteously, you will live a long time.

5 When people are honest and good, that will ◄direct their paths/show them what is right for them to do►;

but wicked people will experience disasters because of the evil things that they do.

6  God rescues/protects righteous people because they ◄are honest/do what is right►,

but those who ◄are treacherous/cannot be trusted► will be trapped because of their being greedy.

7 When wicked people die, they cannot confidently expect to receive anything that is good;

they expect that their money will help/save them, but it will not.

8  Yahweh rescues righteous people from their troubles/difficulties;

instead, it is the wicked who will have troubles.

9 Godless people can ruin others by what they say [MTY],

but righteous people will be saved by their ◄own good sense/being wise►.

10 When things go well for righteous people, the people in [MTY] their city are happy,

and they shout joyfully when wicked people die.

11 When righteous people request God to bless a city, that city will become great,

but cities are ruined by what wicked people say [MTY].

12 It is foolish to despise others;

those who ◄have good sense/are wise► do not say anything to criticize others.

13 Those who ◄spread gossip/tell bad things about others► will tell your secrets to others,

but if there is someone whom you can trust, you can trust him to not tell your secrets to others.

14 A nation will be destroyed/ruined if it does not have leaders who guide it wisely;

but if there are many good advisors, the nation remains secure.

15 If you promise a stranger that you will pay his debt if he cannot pay it himself, you will regret it.

You will be safe if you refuse to guarantee that you will pay someone else’s debts.

16  People honor/respect women who are kind/gracious;

ruthless/violent people may get a lot of money, but that is all that they will get.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves because others will be kind to them,

but those who are cruel will hurt themselves because others will be cruel to them.

18 If wicked people earn a lot of money, that will deceive them because they will not keep it for very long,

but those who do what is right will surely be rewarded by God forever.

19 Those who always do what is right will live a long/happy life,

but those who insist on doing what is wrong will not live very long.

20 Yahweh hates those who are always thinking about doing evil things,

but he is delighted with those who always do what is right.

21 It is certain that Yahweh will punish evil people

and that righteous people will escape from being punished.

22  It is ◄unsuitable/not proper/disgusting► for a beautiful woman not to know what is right to do,

like [SIM] it is unsuitable/disgusting for a pig to have a gold ring in its snout/nose.

23 When the things that righteous people want happen, it brings good to them and to others,

but when the wicked get what they want, it causes everyone else to become angry.

24 Some people give their money generously to poor people, but they become richer in spite of that,

and some people hold tightly to their money, but they still become poor in spite of that.

25 Those who give generously to others will prosper;

if you help others, they/someone will help you, too.

26 People curse/despise someone who hoards his grain and does not sell it, waiting to get a higher/bigger price for it,

but they praise someone who sells it when people need it, even when the price is not high.

27 If you sincerely want to do what is right, people will respect you,

but if you are wanting to cause trouble, trouble is what you will get.

28 Those who trust in their money will disappear like the withered leaves that fall from the trees,

but righteous people will keep going strong, like green leaves in the summer.

29 Those who bring troubles to their families will inherit nothing [MET] from them,

and those who do foolish things like that will some day become the servants of wise people.

30 Those who live righteously will live for a long time,

but those who act violently will destroy their own lives (OR, those who are wise will have many people come and live with them).

31  Sometimes righteous people are rewarded here on the earth,

but it is much more certain that very wicked people [DOU] will be rewarded by being punished.

12 Those who want to know what is right to do want to be ◄disciplined/corrected► when they do what is wrong;

it is foolish to not want to be ◄corrected/told that what you did is wrong►.

2 Yahweh is pleased with good people,

but he condemns those who plan to harm others.

3 People do not become secure/safe by doing what is wicked;

righteous people will be very safe and secure [LIT] like [MET] a tree that has deep roots.

4 A good wife is one who causes her husband to be greatly honored,

but a wife who does things that cause her husband to be ashamed will destroy him like [SIM] cancer destroys his bones.

5 What righteous people want to do is to treat people fairly;

what wicked people want to do is to deceive people.

6 What wicked people say is like a trap [MET] that kills [MTY] people who pass by,

but what righteous people say [MTY] rescues those whom wicked people threaten to harm.

7 Wicked people will die before they become old and we will see them no more,

but righteous people will live for many years and have many descendants.

8  People will praise those who have good sense,

but people will despise those ◄who are always thinking about doing evil things/whose thinking is twisted►.

9 It is better to be a humble/ordinary person who has only one servant

than to think that you are very important while you have nothing to eat.

10 Righteous people take care of their domestic animals,

but wicked people act cruelly toward their animals.

11 Farmers who work hard in their fields will produce good crops that will give them plenty to eat,

but those who waste their time working on worthless projects are foolish.

12 Wicked people desire to take away what other evil people have,

but Yahweh enables righteous/godly people to be steadfast and productive [MET].

13 Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY],

but righteous people escape from trouble.

14 People are rewarded for the good things that they say to others,

and people are also rewarded for the good work that they do [MTY].

15 Foolish people always think that what they are doing is right;

wise people heed other people when they give them good advice.

16 Foolish people quickly become angry when someone does something that they don’t like;

but those who have good sense ignore it when others insult them.

17  In the courtroom, honest people say what is true,

but untruthful/dishonest people tell nothing but lies.

18 What some people say hurts people badly, as much as [SIM] a sword can;

but what wise people say ◄heals others’ souls/comforts others►.

19 When people tell [MTY] lies, others soon realize that what they said is not true [IDM];

but when people say what is true, others will remember that forever.

20 Those who plan to do what is evil are always wanting to deceive others,

but things will go well for those who plan to do good things.

21 Bad things usually [HYP] do not happen to righteous people,

but wicked people always have troubles.

22 Yahweh detests those [MTY] who tell lies,

but he is delighted with those who faithfully do what they promise that they will do.

23 Those with good sense do not reveal all that they know;

foolish people show clearly by what they say that they ◄are ignorant/have not learned much►.

24 Those [SYN] who work hard become rulers of others;

those who are lazy become slaves of others.

25 When people are anxious/worried, they become depressed/dejected,

but when others speak kindly to them, it causes them to be cheerful again.

26 Godly/Righteous people try to give good advice to their friends (OR, try to make friends with others),

but the manner in which wicked people live misleads their friends.

27 Lazy people do not even cook the meat of the animals that they catch/kill,

but those who work hard will acquire (OR, are like) a valuable treasure.

28 Those who ◄live righteously/continually do what is right► are walking on the road to a long life;

◄it is not a road to death/they will not die when they are still young►.

13 Children who are wise ◄pay attention/heed it► when their parents discipline/correct them;

but foolish children do not pay attention when someone rebukes them for their bad behavior.

2 Good people are rewarded [IDM] for the good things [MET] that they say,

but those who desire to deceive others are very eager to act violently.

3 Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY] will live a long life;

those who talk ◄without thinking/too much► will ruin themselves.

4 People who are lazy want things very much, but they will not get anything [HYP].

People who work hard will get all that they want.

5 Righteous/Honest people hate/detest lies,

but what wicked people do ◄is very disgraceful/stinks► [DOU].

6 The behavior [PRS] of those who always do what is right will protect them,

but sinful behavior will ruin wicked people.

7 Some people who have nothing pretend to be rich,

but other people who are very rich pretend to be poor.

8 Rich people are able to pay people who want to kill them, with the result that they will be protected, not killed,

but poor people do not have to worry about that because no one threatens to kill them.

9 Righteous people are like a lamp [MET] that shines brightly,

but wicked people are like [MET] a lamp that will soon be extinguished.

10  People who are arrogant/proud always cause strife;

those who are wise ask other people for good advice.

11 Those who acquire a lot of money quickly by doing what is wrong, probably will lose it quickly,

but if people earn money slowly, the amount of money they have will increase.

12 When people do not receive the things that they are expecting to receive, ◄it causes them to despair/they become very sad►;

but if you receive what you are desiring to get, that will be like a tree [MET] whose fruit gives you life (OR, that will cause you to be joyful).

13 Those who despise the good advice that others give them are bringing ruin on themselves;

those who pay attention to that advice will ◄be secure/succeed►.

14 What wise people teach is like a fountain whose water gives life [MET];

what they teach you will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].

15  People respect those who have good sense,

but those who cannot be trusted are on the road to being ruined/destroyed (OR, will have a lot of difficulties/troubles).

16 Those who have good sense always think carefully/wisely before they do something;

foolish people show by what they say and do that they are foolish.

17 Messengers who are not reliable cause trouble,

but those who faithfully deliver their messages cause people to act peacefully.

18 Those who refuse to pay attention when others discipline/correct them will become poor and disgraced;

people respect those who accept it when they are rebuked for their bad behavior.

19 It is delightful to receive what we desire;

foolish people hate/refuse to turn away from doing evil.

20 Those who habitually associate with wise people become wise;

those who ◄are close friends of/associate with► foolish people will ◄regret it/be ruined►.

21 Sinners have trouble [PRS] wherever they go,

but things will go well for righteous people.

22 When good people die, their grandchildren inherit their money;

but when sinners die, the money that they had will end up in the hands of righteous people.

23  Sometimes poor people’s fields produce plenty of food,

but unjust people take away all that food.

24 Those who do not punish their children for bad behavior do not really love them;

those who love their children start to discipline them when the children are still young.

25 Righteous people have enough food to eat and be satisfied,

but the stomachs of wicked people [SYN] are always empty.

14 Wise women [PRS] hold their families together by the wise things that they do,

but foolish women ruin their families by the foolish things that they do.

2 By continually behaving/acting righteously, people show that they greatly revere Yahweh;

those who ◄walk on crooked paths/always deceive others► show that they despise him.

3 Foolish people will be punished [MTY] for what they say,

but wise people will be protected by what they say [MTY].

4 If a man has no oxen to plow his field, he does not need to put grain in their feedbox,

but if he has oxen, they will enable him to produce an abundant crop.

5 Witnesses who are reliable always say what ◄is true/really happened►,

but witnesses who are not reliable constantly tell lies about what happened.

6 Those who make fun of being wise will never become wise,

but those who understand what is right learn things easily.

7 Stay away from foolish people,

because they will not be able to teach you anything useful.

8 Those who have good sense are wise, so they know what they should do and what they should not do;

foolish people do not know what is right to do, but because they think that they do, they are deceiving themselves.

9 Foolish people make fun of their committing sins;

but God is pleased with those who do what is right.

10 If you are very sad or if you are joyful, only you know what you are experiencing;

no one else can know what you are feeling.

11 Houses built by wicked people will be destroyed,

but houses built by good/righteous people will last for a long time.

12 There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that some people falsely think are right,

but ◄walking on those roads/continually doing those things► causes those people to die.

13  Sometimes when people laugh, they are really sad,

and when they stop laughing, they are still sad.

14 Those who stubbornly continue to do what is wrong will get what they deserve,

and those who continually do what is good will also get what they deserve.

15 Foolish people believe everything that people tell them;

those who have good sense think carefully about what will be the result of their actions.

16 Wise people are careful and avoid doing things that will give them trouble;

foolish people are careless and act ◄too quickly/without thinking►.

17 Those who quickly become angry [IDM] do foolish things;

people hate those who plan to do wicked things (OR, those who have good sense remain calm/patient).

18 Foolish people get what they deserve for doing foolish things;

those with good sense are rewarded [MET] by being able to learn a lot.

19  Some day evil people will bow down in front of righteous people to show that they respect them;

they will humbly stand at the gates of the houses of righteous people and request their help.

20  No one likes poor people; even their friends/neighbors do not like them;

rich people have many friends, but only while the rich people still have money.

21 It is sinful to despise your poor neighbors;

God is pleased with those who do kind things for the poor.

22 Those who plan to do things that are evil/wrong are walking on the wrong road;

people faithfully love, respect and are loyal to those who plan to do what is good.

23 If you work hard, you will ◄accomplish something good/get a good income►,

but if all you do is to talk and not work, you will remain poor.

24 One of the rewards [MET] of being wise is to become rich;

the reward of acting foolishly is to become more foolish.

25 By saying in court what is true, you can save the life of the one who is being falsely accused;

if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help to defend him.

26 Those who revere Yahweh are confident that he will protect them,

and their family will also be protected.

27 Having an awesome respect for Yahweh is like [MET] having a fountain that gives life;

it will help you to escape when something dangerous is threatening to kill you [MET].

28 If a king rules over many people, many people will be able to honor him;

if he has only a few people in his kingdom, he will have very little [HYP] power.

29 Those who do not quickly become angry are very wise;

by quickly becoming angry, people show that they are foolish.

30 Having a mind that is peaceful results in having a healthy body;

having a mind that is often in turmoil is like [MET] cancer in a person’s bones.

31 Those who oppress poor people are insulting God, the one who made those poor people,

but acting kindly toward them is respecting God.

32 Wicked people ruin themselves by the evil things that they do,

but righteous/good people are kept safe/protected even when they die (OR, because of their continually doing what is right).

33 Those who have good sense always think what is wise;

foolish people do not know anything about being wise.

34  When the people of a nation continually act righteously, it causes that nation to be great;

continually doing what is evil causes a nation to be disgraced.

35 Kings are pleased with officials who do their work competently/skillfully,

but they punish [MTY] those who do their work in a manner that causes the kings to be disgraced.

15 When people are angry with you, reply to them gently, and it will calm them;

but if you reply harshly to them, it causes them to become more angry.

2 When wise people speak [MTY], it causes those who hear what they say to want to know more;

foolish people continually say [MTY] what is foolish.

3 Yahweh sees [MTY] what is happening everywhere;

he observes what bad people do as well as what good people do.

4 Those who speak [MTY] kindly to people are like [MET] trees whose fruit gives life;

speaking what is false causes people to ◄despair/feel very discouraged►.

5 Foolish children despise their parents when their parents correct/discipline them;

wise children accept it.

6 There are many valuable things in the houses of righteous people;

the wealth of wicked people causes them to have troubles/difficulties.

7 What wise people teach [MTY] causes others to know much more,

but foolish people cannot teach others what is useful.

8 Yahweh detests the sacrifices that are offered by wicked people;

what delights/pleases him very much are the prayers of righteous/good people.

9 Yahweh hates/detests the behavior of wicked people,

but he loves those who always do what is righteous/just/fair.

10 Those who do what is wrong will be severely punished;

those who do not want to be corrected will die.

11 Yahweh knows what is happening in the place where dead people [DOU] are,

so he certainly knows [RHQ] what people are thinking.

12 Some people do not want to be corrected;

they never go to wise people to seek good advice from them.

13 When people are happy, they have smiles on their faces;

but when they are sad, by looking at their faces we can see that they are sad.

14 Those who have good sense want to learn more;

foolish people [MTY] are very satisfied with being foolish/ignorant.

15 Those who are oppressed constantly have difficulties,

but those who (OR, if they) are happy, it is as though [MET] they are having a big feast every day.

16 Being poor and revering Yahweh

is better than being rich and having a lot of troubles.

17 Eating meals with people whom you love and having only vegetables to eat

is better than eating with people who hate each other and having lots of good meat to eat.

18 Those who quickly become angry cause arguments/quarreling,

but those who do not quickly become angry cause people to act peacefully.

19 Lazy people constantly have difficulties [MET]; it is as though they are walking through thorns;

but those who are honest and hard-working will have few difficulties; it is as though they are walking on a level highway [MET].

20 Children who are wise cause their parents to be happy;

it is foolish children who despise their parents.

21 Foolish people are happy to continually act foolishly;

those who have good sense do what is right.

22 If there is no one to give us good advice, we will not accomplish what we are planning to do;

but when we have many good advisors, we will succeed.

23 People rejoice when they are able to reply well to what others have asked them;

truly, it is very delightful to be able to say the right thing at the right time.

24 Wise people walk on a road that leads up to a long life;

they do not walk on a road that leads down to the place where dead people are.

25 Yahweh tears down the houses of proud people,

but he protects the property of widows.

26 Yahweh detests what wicked people are thinking about doing;

but when people say what is kind, he considers those words to be pure.

27 Those who try hard to get money by acting dishonestly cause trouble for their family;

those who refuse to accept bribes will live for a long time.

28 Righteous/Good people think carefully before they answer what others ask them;

wicked people very quickly say what is evil.

29 Yahweh does not listen [MTY] to what wicked people request him to do;

he listens to righteous people when they pray.

30 If people have a smile on their faces, it makes them/others happy,

and when people hear good news, it refreshes their spirits [MTY].

31 If people pay attention when people correct/warn them,

they will become wise.

32 If people refuse to listen when others try to correct them, they are despising/hurting themselves;

those who ◄pay attention/heed► when others warn them ◄become wiser/acquire good sense►.

33 If you revere Yahweh, you will learn how to become wise,

but only after you become humble will people honor you.

16 People plan what they want to do,

but Yahweh is the one who decides [MTY] what really will happen.

2 People may think that their actions are right,

but Yahweh really knows why people do what they do.

3 ◄Request/Rely on► Yahweh to direct what you plan to do;

if you do that, you will succeed in what you plan.

4 Yahweh knows why he does everything that he does;

he has even prepared the wicked for the time that he will punish them.

5 Yahweh hates/detests everyone who is proud [IDM];

you can be certain [IDM] that they will be punished [LIT].

6 Be loyal to Yahweh and faithfully obey him; if you do that, he will forgive you for having sinned.

If we revere him, nothing evil will happen to us (OR, he will prevent evil things from happening to us).

7 When our behavior pleases Yahweh,

he even causes our enemies to act peacefully toward us.

8 It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly

than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.

9 People plan what they want to do,

but Yahweh directs/determines what they will really be able to do.

10  If God directs what a king says,

what he decides is always right/fair.

11 Yahweh wants us to use scales that are correct;

the weights in his bag are correct, because he made them.

12 Kings detest those who do evil,

because it is people doing what is fair/right that causes their governments to be [MTY] strong.

13 Kings are delighted to hear people say [MTY] what is true;

they love those who say what is right/honest.

14 If a king becomes angry, he may command that someone be executed,

so wise people will try to cause him to be calm.

15 If a king has a smile [MTY] on his face, he will enable people to have a long life (OR, he will not order people to be executed);

his being pleased with people is as delightful as rain in the springtime when seeds are planted.

16 Becoming wise is better than aquiring gold;

getting good understanding/insight is better than acquiring silver.

17 Those whose behavior [MET] is good/right turn away from doing evil;

those who guard their conduct [MTY] protect their lives.

18 Being proud will ◄lead to your having/cause you to have► disasters;

despising others will result in your being ruined.

19 It is better to be humble and poor

than to associate with proud people and to become rich by dividing with them ◄plunder/goods captured in a battle►.

20 Those who heed good teaching/instruction will prosper;

happy are those who trust in Yahweh.

21 People say that those who are wise learn what is right/good behavior,

and those who talk pleasantly are able to influence others to do what is right.

22 Being wise is like having a fountain that gives life [MET],

but foolish people are punished as a result of their acting foolishly.

23 Those who are wise think carefully before they talk,

and as a result they are able to influence/persuade others to do what is right.

24 Kind words are like honey [SIM]:

We enjoy them both, and both cause our bodies to be healthy/strong.

25 There are some kinds of behavior [MET] that people think are right,

but ◄walking on those roads [MET]/continually doing those things► causes those people to die.

26 If a worker ◄has an appetite/is hungry►, that urges him to work hard

because he [SYN] wants to earn money to buy things to eat.

27 Worthless people plan ways to cause trouble for others,

and even what they say injures people like a hot fire does [SIM].

28 Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people;

those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.

29 Those who act violently entice/encourage others to also act violently

and lead them along a road that will end in disaster.

30 People sometimes show with one of their eyes to signal to their friends that they are planning to do something to harm others;

they smirk when they are about to do something evil.

31 Gray hair is like a glorious crown [MET]

that is given to people who have always behaved righteously.

32 Those who do not become angry quickly are better than those who are powerful;

it is better to ◄control your temper/keep yourself from becoming very angry► than to conquer a city.

33 People ◄cast lots/throw marked stones► to decide what should be done,

but God is the one who truly decides what will happen.

17 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 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  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 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 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 Old people are usually proud of [MET] their grandchildren,

just like children are usually proud of their parents.

7 Fine/Eloquent speech is not suitable for foolish people to say,

just like lies are not suitable for rulers to say.

8 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 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 Rebuking people who have good sense will accomplish more for them

than hitting them 100 times with a stick.

11  Because wicked people are always trying to cause trouble,

someone will be sent to severely punish them.

12 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 If someone does something evil in return for something good being done to him,

evil/trouble will never leave that person’s family.

14 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 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 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 Friends love others all the time,

and relatives are able to help us when we have troubles.

18  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 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 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 Children who are foolish soon cause their parents to be very sad;

their parents will not be joyful at all.

22 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 Wicked people/judges accept bribes that are given to them secretly,

and as a result they do not decide matters justly/fairly.

24 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 Children who are foolish cause their father to be sad

and also cause their mother to be very sorrowful.

26 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 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 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.

18 Those who separate themselves from other people think only about those things that they are interested in;

if they would continually associate with those who have good judgment/sense, they would constantly disagree/quarrel with them.

2 Foolish people do not want to understand anything;

they only want to ◄express their own opinions/say what they think► [IDM].

3 Whenever people do wicked things, others will despise them;

when people do things that cause themselves to no longer be honored, they will be disgraced also.

4 What wise people say is like a deep ocean that you can never get to the bottom of [MET],

and it refreshes us like water from a rapidly flowing stream.

5 It is not good for a judge to decide matters in favor of those who ◄are guilty/have done wicked things►

and to not do what is just for those who ◄are innocent/have not done what is wrong►.

6 When foolish people [SYN] start arguments,

it is as though they [SYN] are requesting/inviting someone to flog/whip them.

7 What foolish people [MTY] say causes them to be ruined;

their own words are like a trap [MET] that catches/seizes them.

8  People enjoy listening to what gossips say like [SIM] they enjoy tasty food;

they accept what gossips tell them like [MET] they swallow tasty food.

9 People who are lazy while they work

are just as bad as [IDM] those who destroy things.

10 Yahweh [MTY] is like a strong tower [MET];

righteous people can go to him and be safe like they can run to a tower to be safe.

11 Rich people are protected because they have a lot of money [PRS]

like a city is protected because it has a high wall surrounding it [SIM].

12 Proud people are on the road to being ruined,

but being humble leads to being honored.

13 Those who reply to someone before that person has finished speaking are foolish;

doing that is disgraceful.

14 A desire to continue to live can sustain someone when he is sick;

if he loses that desire, he ◄cannot endure it/will become very discouraged► when he is sick [RHQ].

15 Intelligent people are always wanting to learn more;

wise people [SYN] are not content with what they already know.

16 If you take a gift to an important person, that will open the way to allow you to talk to him.

17 The first person to present his case in court seems right,

but when ◄someone else/his opponent► begins to ask him questions, it may become clear that what he said was not true.

18 If two influential/important people are arguing,

someone can settle the matter by ◄casting lots/throwing marked stones to decide who is right►.

19 If you help relatives, they will protect you like [SIM] a strong wall protects a city,

but if you quarrel with them, that will separate you from them like bars on a city gate separate the city from those who want to enter it [MET].

20 People are happy when they hear others say [MTY] something that is good,

like they are happy when they eat food that is good [MET].

21 What you say can cause others to be killed or it can cause them to continue to live;

so those who like to talk a lot must ◄accept the consequences/realize that what they say can cause much harm►.

22 If you marry a good woman, that is like finding a wonderful thing;

it shows that Yahweh is pleased with you.

23  It is necessary for poor people to speak politely when they request rich people to do something for them,

but rich people reply very impolitely when poor people speak to them.

24 There are some people who only pretend to be friends with us,

but there are some friends who are more loyal than members of our families.

19 Conducting our lives as we should even though we are poor

is better than being foolish and telling lies.

2 Being enthusiastic but not thinking carefully about what we are about to do is not good;

doing things hastily can cause us a lot of trouble [IDM].

3 Some people are ruined as a result of their own foolish actions,

and when that happens, they [SYN] angrily say that it is Yahweh’s fault.

4 Those who are rich easily find people who want to be their friends,

but when people become poor, their friends often desert them.

5 Those who tell lies in court will surely be punished [LIT];

they will not escape it.

6 Many people try to persuade important people to do favors for them;

everyone wants to be a friend of those who give gifts.

7  Even the relatives of someone who becomes poor hate him,

and his friends certainly stay away from him, too;

even if he tries to talk with them, they will not be his friends again.

8 Those who become wise [IDM] are doing a favor for themselves;

those who get good sense will prosper.

9 Those who tell lies in court will certainly be punished [LIT];

they will be ruined.

10 It is not appropriate for foolish people to live ◄luxuriously/like rich people►,

and it is even less appropriate for slaves to rule important officials.

11 Those who have good sense do not quickly become angry;

people respect those who ignore offensive things that people say to them.

12 When a king is angry, that causes people to be afraid of him, like the roar of a lion causes people to be afraid [SIM],

but if he acts kindly toward people, they like it just like they like dew on the grass in the morning.

13 Foolish children can cause disasters to happen to their parents.

A wife who constantly ◄nags/quarrels with► her husband is as annoying as water that continually drips [MET].

14 We can inherit a house or money from our parents when they die,

but only Yahweh can give someone a sensible wife.

15 Those who are lazy sleep soundly,

but if they are lazy, they will be hungry because of not earning money to buy food.

16 Those who obey God’s commandments will remain alive for a long time;

those who despise/disobey them (OR, those who do not control their own conduct) will die while they are still young.

17 When we give things to poor people, it is as though we are lending to Yahweh,

and he will ◄pay us back/reward us for what we did►.

18 Discipline your children while they are young, while you still hope that they will learn to behave as they should;

if you do not discipline them, you are helping them to destroy themselves.

19 Those who ◄do not control their temper/quickly become very angry► will have to endure what happens as a result;

but if we rescue them from those troubles once, we will have to continue rescuing them.

20 Pay attention when people give you good advice and learn from them,

in order that you will become wise for the rest of your life.

21 People plan to do many kinds of things,

but what will happen is what Yahweh has decided will happen.

22 People want others to be loyal to them;

it is better to be poor than to tell a lie to a judge in court in order to get money.

23  Those who have an awesome respect for Yahweh will live a long life;

they rest peacefully and are not harmed during the night.

24 Some people are extremely lazy;

they put their hand in a dish to take some food but do not even lift the food up to their mouths.

25 If you punish someone who makes fun of those who are wise, those who ◄are naive/need to be instructed► will learn to do what is smart;

if you rebuke those who are wise, they will listen to what you say and become wiser.

26 Anyone who mistreats/abuses his father or forces his mother to leave the home

is a child who is acting shamefully and disgracefully.

27 My son, if you stop learning things,

you will soon forget what you already know.

28 Worthless witnesses in court make fun of judges who try to make fair decisions,

and wicked people enjoy doing evil like they enjoy eating good food [MET].

29  God is ready to punish those who make fun of him/religion;

those who do foolish things deserve to be flogged/whipped.

20 Drinking a lot of wine or other strong drinks causes people to start fighting;

it is foolish to become drunk/intoxicated.

2 Being afraid of a king when he is angry is like [SIM] being afraid of a lion when it growls/roars;

if you cause the king to become angry, he may execute you.

3  People respect those who stay away from disputes/arguments;

foolish people love to quarrel.

4  If a lazy man does not plow his fields at the right/proper time,

he will look for crops at harvest time, but there will be nothing there.

5  Just as it is difficult to bring up water from a deep well, it is difficult to know what people are thinking,

but someone who has good sense/insight will be able to find out what people are thinking.

6 Many people proclaim that they can be trusted to do what they say that they will do,

but it is very difficult to find [RHQ] someone who can really be trusted.

7 If parents conduct their lives as they should,

God blesses their children (OR, their children are very happy/fortunate).

8 A king who sits on his throne to judge people

can easily [MTY] find out what things that people have done are good and what things are evil.

9 There is no one [RHQ] who can truthfully say, “I do not know of any wrong things that I have done;

I have ◄gotten rid of all my sinful behavior/quit doing what is sinful►.”

10 Yahweh detests people who use weights that are not right

and measures that are not correct.

11 Even children show by what they do whether they are good or not;

they show whether ◄what they do/their behavior► is honest and right or not.

12 Two of the things that Yahweh has created for us

are ears to hear things and eyes to see things.

13 If you want to sleep all the time, you will become poor;

if you stay awake and work, you will have plenty of food.

14 People look at things that they are about to buy, and in order to get it for a lower price sometimes they say, “◄It is no good/It is poor quality►,”

but after they buy it, they go and boast about having bought it for a cheap price.

15 Gold and precious stones are valuable,

but wise words [MTY] are more valuable.

16 If you foolishly promise to a stranger that you will pay what he owes if he is unable to pay it [DOU],

you deserve to have someone take your coat from you.

17 People may think that food that they acquire by doing what is dishonest will taste very good,

but later they will not enjoy what they have done any more than they would enjoy eating gravel/sand.

18 When people give you good advice, if you do what they suggest, your plans will succeed;

so be sure to get good advice from wise people before you start fighting a war.

19 Those who go around telling gossip are always telling secrets to others;

so stay away from people who foolishly talk too much.

20 If someone curses his father or his mother,

his life will be ended, just like a lamp is extinguished.

21 If you very quickly take the property that your parents promise will be yours after they die,

you will not receive any good/blessing from it.

22 Do not say, “I will do evil to those who do evil to me;”

wait for Yahweh to do something about it, and he will ◄help you/do what is right►.

23 Yahweh detests those who use dishonest scales

and weights that are not accurate/correct.

24 Yahweh is the one who has decided what will happen to us,

so ◄how can we understand/know what will happen before it happens?/we humans certainly cannot understand/know what will happen before it happens.► [RHQ]

25 You should think carefully before you solemnly promise to dedicate something to God,

because later you might be sorry you have promised to do it.

26 Wise kings find out [MET] which people have done what is wrong,

and they punish them very severely [IDM].

27 Our consciences are like lamps that Yahweh has given to us to enable us to know what we are thinking [MET];

they reveal what is hidden deep in our ◄minds/inner beings►.

28 Kings will continue to rule as long as they faithfully love their people and are loyal to them

and as long as they rule righteously/fairly.

29 We honor/admire young people because they are strong,

but we respect [MTY] old people more because they are wise.

30 When we are beaten or whipped, it can cause us to quit doing what is evil in our lives;

when someone wounds us by punishing us, it can cause our behavior to become good.

21 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 People always think that what they do is right,

but Yahweh judges our ◄motives/reasons for doing things► [MTY].

3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh

than bringing sacrifices to him.

4 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 People who plan carefully will surely have plenty of what they need;

those who act too quickly to become rich will become poor.

6 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 Wicked people refuse to do what is right/just,

but they will be ruined because of the violent things [PRS] that they do.

8 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 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 Wicked people [SYN] are always wanting to do what is evil;

they never act mercifully toward anyone.

11 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  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 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 When someone is angry with you,

if you secretly give him a gift, he will stop being angry.

15 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 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 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 Wicked people bring on themselves the sufferings

that they were trying to cause righteous people to experience [DOU].

19 It is better to live alone in a desert

than to live with a wife who is always nagging and complaining.

20 Wise people have many valuable things in their houses,

but foolish people quickly spend/waste all their money.

21 Those who always try to act in a fair and kind way toward others

will live a long time and be honored/respected.

22 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 Those who are very careful about what they say [MTY]

are able to avoid trouble.

24 Those who make fun of everything that is good are proud and conceited [DOU];

they always act in an inconsiderate way toward others.

25 Lazy people, who refuse to work, will die of hunger

because they [SYN] do not earn money to buy food.

26 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  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 Those who tell lies in court will be punished;

no one stops/silences witnesses who say what is truthful/reliable.

29 Wicked people pretend that they know everything,

but righteous people think carefully about what will happen because of what they do.

30  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 We can get horses ready to fight in a battle,

but Yahweh is the one who enables us to ◄win victories/defeat our enemies►.

22 ◄Having a good reputation/Being honored by people► is better than having a lot of money;

being well respected is better than having plenty of gold or silver [DOU].

2 There is one thing that is true about both rich people and poor people:

Yahweh is the one who created all of them.

3 Those who have good sense realize that there is something dangerous ahead, and they avoid it;

those who do not have good sense just keep going and later they will suffer because of doing that.

4 The reward that Yahweh gives to those who are humble and who revere him

is that he causes them to be rich and honored and to live for a long time.

5 Because of the things that wicked people do, they have difficulties/troubles that will be like thorns and traps on the roads that they walk on [MET];

people who are careful/cautious will be able to stay away from those difficulties.

6 If you train/teach children to do what is right,

all during their life they will act/behave in that manner.

7 Rich people rule over poor people harshly,

and those who borrow money become like slaves [MET] of the people who lend money to them.

8  If you plant corn or rice, corn or rice will grow;

similarly, if you act unjustly, you will have disasters [MET];

and if you try to harm/oppress people because you are angry with them,

you will not be able to harm them.

9  God will bless those who are generous [IDM],

those who give some of their food to poor people.

10 If you get rid of those who make fun of everything that is good,

there will no more arguing or quarreling or insulting other people.

11 If you always act sincerely [IDM] and always speak kindly,

the king will be your friend.

12 Yahweh [SYN] ◄watches over/takes care of► those who have good understanding/sense,

but he ruins the plans/affairs of those who always try to deceive others.

13 Lazy people remain in their houses;

they say, “A lion might attack me if I go out into the street to go to work!”

14 What ◄wives who commit adultery/immoral women► say to men [MTY] is like a deep pit [MET] into which those men fall;

those with whom Yahweh is angry will fall into that pit.

15 Children [SYN] naturally do things that are foolish,

but if you punish/spank them [PRS], they will ◄stop doing foolish things/learn to behave as they should►.

16 Those who oppress poor people in order to become rich,

and those who give a bribe to rich people in order that the rich people will do a favor for them,

will just lose their money.