OET interlinear PRO 4:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

כִּ֤י

that/for/because/then/when

For here indicates that what follows are reasons why someone should avoid doing evil, as stated in the previous verse. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “Avoid acting wickedly because”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽ⁠נִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗⁠ם אִם־לֹ֥א יַכְשִֽׁילוּ

not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not (Some words not found in UHB: that/for/because/then/when not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not stumble )

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [they do not sleep if they do not do evil.Indeed, their sleep is robbed if they do not cause stumbling]

Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns

לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽ⁠נִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗⁠ם אִם־לֹ֥א יַכְשִֽׁילוּ

not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not (Some words not found in UHB: that/for/because/then/when not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not stumble )

In this verse, the pronoun they refers to the wicked people mentioned in [4:14](../04/14.md). If it would be clearer in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “wicked ones do not sleep if they do not do evil, and the sleep of wicked ones is robbed if those wicked ones do not cause stumbling”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽ⁠נִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗⁠ם אִם־לֹ֥א יַכְשִֽׁילוּ

not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not (Some words not found in UHB: that/for/because/then/when not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not stumble )

In these two clauses, Solomon exaggerates to express how intensely these wicked people desire to do evil actions. Solomon did not literally mean that these people could not sleep if they had not done evil. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: “they desire to do evil so much that it is as if they would not be able to sleep unless they did evil”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְֽ⁠נִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗⁠ם

and,robbed sleep_of,they

Here Solomon is speaking of not being able to sleep as if sleep were an object that someone could rob from someone else. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and they are not able to sleep”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וְֽ⁠נִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗⁠ם

and,robbed sleep_of,they

If your language does not use a passive form like is robbed, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [and they are not able to sleep]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אִם־לֹ֥א יַכְשִֽׁילוּ

if if not (Some words not found in UHB: that/for/because/then/when not sleep if not done_wrong and,robbed sleep_of,they if not stumble )

Here Solomon speaks of causing harm to another person as if it were causing that person to stumble. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “if they do not harm someone”