1Better a dry morsel in quietness
than a house full of feastinga with strife.
1Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it, than a house full of feasting with strife.
2A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
2A wise servant rules over a son who acts shamefully, and in the midst of brothers he will share an inheritance.
3A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold,
but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
3The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, and the One testing hearts is YHWH.
4A wicked man listens to evil lips;
a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
4One doing evil pays attention to lips of iniquity; a liar gives ear to a tongue of evil desires.
5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;
whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
5One mocking the poor scorns his Maker; one glad at calamity will not be acquitted.
6Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of a son is his father.
6The crown of old men are the sons of sons, and the glory of sons are their fathers.
7Eloquent words are unfit for a fool;
how much worse are lying lips to a ruler!
7A lip of excellence is not lovely to a fool, even less to a prince is a lip of falsehood.
8A bribe is a charm to its giver;
wherever he turns, he succeeds.
8A stone of favor is a bribe in the eyes of its owners—to all that he turns, he prospers.
9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,
but he who brings it up separates friends.
9The one covering a transgression is seeking love, and one repeating a word is separating a close friend.
10A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment
deeper than a hundred lashes cut into a fool.
10A rebuke goes down into an understanding one, more than a hundred stripes into a fool.
11An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
11An evil one seeks only rebellion, and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
12It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
than a fool in his folly.
12Let meet a bear robbed of her cubs with a man, and not a fool in his folly.
13If anyone returns evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.
13One returning evil in exchange for good—evil shall not depart from his house.
14To start a quarrel is to release a flood;
so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
14The beginning of strife is a letting out of waters, and before it breaks out, abandon the dispute.
15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—
both are detestable to the LORD.
15One justifying the wicked, and condemning the just—even the two of them are an abomination to YHWH.
16Why should the fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?
16Why is is this a payment in the hand of a fool, to buy wisdom without a heart?
17A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
17At every time a friend is loving, and a brother is born for distress.
18A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge
and puts up security for his neighbor.
18A man lacking heart is one striking hands, pledging a pledge before the face of his friend.
19He who loves transgression loves strife;
he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
19The one loving transgression loves strife; the one making high his entrance is seeking destruction.
20The one with a perverse heart finds no good,
and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
20The twisted of heart shall not find good, and the turned in his tongue falls into evil.
21A man fathers a fool to his own grief;
the father of a fool has no joy.
21The one begetting a fool, grief is unto him, and the father of a fool is not glad.
22A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
22A joyful heart is good healing, and a spirit stricken dries up the bones.
23A wicked man takes a covert bribea
to subvert the course of justice.
23A wicked one takes a bribe from the bosom to stretch aside the paths of justice.
24Wisdom is the focus of the discerning,
but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
24With the face of a discerning one is wisdom and the eyes of a fool are at the end of the earth.
25A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to her who bore him.
25A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.
26It is surely not good to punish the innocent
or to flog a noble for his honesty.
26Surely to fine the righteous is not good, to strike nobles for uprightness.
27A man of knowledge restrains his words,
and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
27The one restraining his words is one knowing knowledge, and calm of spirit is a man of understanding.
28Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning when he holds his tongue.
28Even a fool keeping silent is considered wise, one shutting his lips discerning.