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Chapter 17
Better a Dry Morsel in Quietness
1
Better a dry morsel in quietness than a house full of feasting with strife.
𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤇𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤐𐤕 𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤄 𐤁𐤄 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤌𐤋𐤀 𐤆𐤁𐤇𐤉 𐤓𐤉𐤁
ט֤וֹב חֲ֭רֵבָה פַּ֣ת וְשַׁלְוָה־ בָ֑הּ מִ֝בַּ֗יִת מָלֵ֥א זִבְחֵי־ רִֽיב׃ ṭō·wḇ ḥă·rê·ḇāh paṯ wə·šal·wāh- ḇāh mib·ba·yiṯ mā·lê ziḇ·ḥê- rîḇ — WLC · 1
2
A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.
𐤌𐤔𐤊𐤉𐤋 𐤏𐤁𐤃 𐤉𐤌𐤔𐤋 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤔 𐤁𐤁𐤍 𐤉𐤇𐤋𐤒 𐤍𐤇𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤕𐤅𐤊 𐤀𐤇𐤉𐤌
מַשְׂכִּ֗יל עֶֽבֶד־ יִ֭מְשֹׁל מֵבִ֑ישׁ בְּבֵ֣ן יַחֲלֹ֥ק נַחֲלָֽה׃ וּבְת֥וֹךְ אַ֝חִ֗ים maś·kîl ‘e·ḇeḏ- yim·šōl mê·ḇîš bə·ḇên ya·ḥă·lōq na·ḥă·lāh ū·ḇə·ṯō·wḵ ’a·ḥîm — WLC · 2
3
A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.
𐤌𐤑𐤓𐤐 𐤋𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤅𐤊𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤆𐤄𐤁 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤅𐤁𐤇𐤍 𐤋𐤁𐤅𐤕
מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב יְהוָֽה׃ וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבּ֣וֹת maṣ·rêp̄ lak·ke·sep̄ wə·ḵūr laz·zā·hāḇ Yah·weh ū·ḇō·ḥên lib·bō·wṯ — WLC · 3
4
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
𐤌𐤓𐤏 𐤌𐤒𐤔𐤉𐤁 𐤏𐤋 𐤀𐤅𐤍 𐤔𐤐𐤕 𐤔𐤒𐤓 𐤌𐤆𐤉𐤍 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤍
מֵ֭רַע מַקְשִׁ֣יב עַל־ אָ֑וֶן שְׂפַת־ שֶׁ֥קֶר מֵ֝זִין עַל־ הַוֺּֽת׃ לְשׁ֥וֹן mê·ra‘ maq·šîḇ ‘al- ’ā·wen śə·p̄aṯ- še·qer mê·zîn ‘al- haw·wōṯ lə·šō·wn — WLC · 4
5
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
𐤋𐤏𐤂 𐤋𐤓𐤔 𐤇𐤓𐤐 𐤏𐤔𐤄𐤅 𐤔𐤌𐤇 𐤋𐤀𐤉𐤃 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤍𐤒𐤄
לֹעֵ֣ג לָ֭רָשׁ חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ שָׂמֵ֥חַ לְ֝אֵ֗יד לֹ֣א יִנָּקֶֽה׃ lō·‘êḡ lā·rāš ḥê·rêp̄ ‘ō·śê·hū śā·mê·aḥ lə·’êḏ lō yin·nā·qeh — WLC · 5
6
Grandchildren… are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.
𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤈𐤓𐤕 𐤆𐤒𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤕𐤐𐤀𐤓𐤕 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤁𐤅𐤕𐤌
בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֑ים עֲטֶ֣רֶת זְ֭קֵנִים וְתִפְאֶ֖רֶת בָּנִ֣ים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ bə·nê ḇā·nîm ‘ă·ṭe·reṯ zə·qê·nîm wə·ṯip̄·’e·reṯ bā·nîm ’ă·ḇō·w·ṯām — WLC · 6
7
Eloquent words are unfit… for a fool; how much worse… are lying lips to a ruler!
𐤉𐤕𐤓 𐤔𐤐𐤕 𐤋𐤀 𐤍𐤀𐤅𐤄 𐤋𐤍𐤁𐤋 𐤀𐤐 𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤒𐤓 𐤔𐤐𐤕 𐤋𐤍𐤃𐤉𐤁
יֶ֑תֶר שְׂפַת־ לֹא־ נָאוָ֣ה לְנָבָ֣ל אַ֝֗ף כִּֽי־ שָֽׁקֶר׃ שְׂפַת־ לְנָדִ֥יב ye·ṯer śə·p̄aṯ- lō- nā·wāh lə·nā·ḇāl ’ap̄ kî- šā·qer śə·p̄aṯ- lə·nā·ḏîḇ — WLC · 7
8
A bribe is a charm… to its giver; wherever… he turns, he succeeds.
𐤄𐤔𐤇𐤃 𐤇𐤍 𐤀𐤁𐤍 𐤁𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉 𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤋 𐤊𐤋 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤐𐤍𐤄 𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤉𐤋
הַ֭שֹּׁחַד חֵ֣ן אֶֽבֶן־ בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ haš·šō·ḥaḏ ḥên ’e·ḇen- bə·‘ê·nê ḇə·‘ā·lāw ’el- kāl- ’ă·šer yip̄·neh yaś·kîl — WLC · 8
9
Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but he who brings it up… separates friends.
𐤌𐤊𐤎𐤄 𐤐𐤔𐤏 𐤌𐤁𐤒𐤔 𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤅𐤔𐤍𐤄 𐤁𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤌𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤃 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤐
מְֽכַסֶּה־ פֶּ֭שַׁע מְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אַהֲבָ֑ה וְשֹׁנֶ֥ה בְ֝דָבָ֗ר מַפְרִ֥יד אַלּֽוּף׃ mə·ḵas·seh- pe·ša‘ mə·ḇaq·qêš ’a·hă·ḇāh wə·šō·neh ḇə·ḏā·ḇār map̄·rîḏ ’al·lūp̄ — WLC · 9
10
A rebuke cuts into a man of discernment deeper than a hundred lashes [cut into] a fool.
𐤂𐤏𐤓𐤄 𐤕𐤇𐤕 𐤁𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤀𐤄 𐤌𐤄𐤊𐤅𐤕 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋
גְּעָרָ֣ה תֵּ֣חַת בְמֵבִ֑ין מֵאָֽה׃ מֵהַכּ֖וֹת כְּסִ֣יל gə·‘ā·rāh tê·ḥaṯ ḇə·mê·ḇîn mê·’āh mê·hak·kō·wṯ kə·sîl — WLC · 10
11
An evil [man] seeks only rebellion; a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
𐤓𐤏 𐤉𐤁𐤒𐤔 𐤀𐤊 𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤀𐤊𐤆𐤓𐤉 𐤅𐤌𐤋𐤀𐤊 𐤉𐤔𐤋𐤇 𐤁𐤅
רָ֑ע יְבַקֶּשׁ־ אַךְ־ מְרִ֥י אַ֝כְזָרִ֗י וּמַלְאָ֥ךְ יְשֻׁלַּח־ בּֽוֹ׃ rā‘ yə·ḇaq·qeš- ’aḵ- mə·rî ’aḵ·zā·rî ū·mal·’āḵ yə·šul·laḥ- bōw — WLC · 11
12
[It is better] to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly.
𐤁𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤐𐤂𐤅𐤔 𐤃𐤁 𐤔𐤊𐤅𐤋 𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤁𐤀𐤅𐤋𐤕𐤅
בְּאִ֑ישׁ פָּג֬וֹשׁ דֹּ֣ב שַׁכּ֣וּל וְאַל־ כְּ֝סִ֗יל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ bə·’îš pā·ḡō·wōš dōḇ šak·kūl wə·’al- kə·sîl bə·’iw·wal·tōw — WLC · 12
13
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
𐤌𐤔𐤉𐤁 𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤕𐤇𐤕 𐤈𐤅𐤁𐤄 𐤓𐤏𐤄 𐤋𐤀 𐤕𐤌𐤉𐤔 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤅
מֵשִׁ֣יב רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה רָ֝עָ֗ה לֹא־ תָמִישׁ מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ mê·šîḇ rā·‘āh ta·ḥaṯ ṭō·w·ḇāh rā·‘āh lō- ṯå̄·mīš mib·bê·ṯōw — WLC · 13
14
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤉𐤕 𐤌𐤃𐤅𐤍 𐤐𐤅𐤈𐤓 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤍𐤈𐤅𐤔 𐤄𐤓𐤉𐤁 𐤅𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤕𐤂𐤋𐤏
רֵאשִׁ֣ית מָד֑וֹן פּ֣וֹטֵֽר מַ֭יִם נְטֽוֹשׁ׃ הָרִ֥יב וְלִפְנֵ֥י הִ֝תְגַּלַּ֗ע rê·šîṯ mā·ḏō·wn pō·w·ṭêr ma·yim nə·ṭō·wōš hā·rîḇ wə·lip̄·nê hiṯ·gal·la‘ — WLC · 14
15
Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous— both are detestable to the LORD -.
𐤌𐤑𐤃𐤉𐤒 𐤓𐤔𐤏 𐤅𐤌𐤓𐤔𐤉𐤏 𐤑𐤃𐤉𐤒 𐤔𐤍𐤉𐤄𐤌 𐤕𐤅𐤏𐤁𐤕 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤂𐤌
מַצְדִּ֣יק רָ֭שָׁע וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ צַדִּ֑יק שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְ֝הוָ֗ה גַּם־ maṣ·dîq rā·šā‘ ū·mar·šî·a‘ ṣad·dîq šə·nê·hem tō·w·‘ă·ḇaṯ Yah·weh gam- — WLC · 15
16
Why… should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤆𐤄 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤓 𐤁𐤉𐤃 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤅𐤋𐤁 𐤋𐤒𐤍𐤅𐤕 𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤄
לָמָּה־ זֶּ֣ה כְּסִ֑יל מְחִ֣יר בְּיַד־ אָֽיִן׃ וְלֶב־ לִקְנ֖וֹת חָכְמָ֣ה lām·māh- zeh kə·sîl mə·ḥîr bə·yaḏ- ’ā·yin wə·leḇ- liq·nō·wṯ ḥāḵ·māh — WLC · 16
17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
𐤄𐤓𐤏 𐤀𐤄𐤁 𐤁𐤊𐤋 𐤏𐤕 𐤅𐤀𐤇 𐤉𐤅𐤋𐤃 𐤋𐤑𐤓𐤄
הָרֵ֑עַ אֹהֵ֣ב בְּכָל־ עֵ֭ת וְאָ֥ח יִוָּלֵֽד׃ לְ֝צָרָ֗ה hā·rê·a‘ ’ō·hêḇ bə·ḵāl ‘êṯ wə·’āḥ yiw·wā·lêḏ lə·ṣā·rāh — WLC · 17
18
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security… for his neighbor.
𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤇𐤎𐤓 𐤋𐤁 𐤕𐤅𐤒𐤏 𐤊𐤐 𐤏𐤓𐤁 𐤏𐤓𐤁𐤄 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤓𐤏𐤄𐤅
אָדָ֣ם חֲסַר־ לֵ֭ב תּוֹקֵ֣עַ כָּ֑ף עֹרֵ֥ב עֲ֝רֻבָּ֗ה לִפְנֵ֥י רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ ’ā·ḏām ḥă·sar- lêḇ tō·w·qê·a‘ kāp̄ ‘ō·rêḇ ‘ă·rub·bāh lip̄·nê rê·‘ê·hū — WLC · 18
19
He who loves transgression loves strife; he who builds his gate high invites destruction.
𐤀𐤄𐤁 𐤐𐤔𐤏 𐤀𐤄𐤁 𐤌𐤑𐤄 𐤐𐤕𐤇𐤅 𐤌𐤂𐤁𐤉𐤄 𐤌𐤁𐤒𐤔 𐤔𐤁𐤓
אֹ֣הֵֽב פֶּ֭שַׁע אֹהֵ֣ב מַצָּ֑ה פִּ֝תְח֗וֹ מַגְבִּ֥יהַּ מְבַקֶּשׁ־ שָֽׁבֶר׃ ’ō·hêḇ pe·ša‘ ’ō·hêḇ maṣ·ṣāh piṯ·ḥōw maḡ·bî·ah mə·ḇaq·qeš- šā·ḇer — WLC · 19
20
The one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
𐤏𐤒𐤔 𐤋𐤁 𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀 𐤋𐤀 𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤁𐤋𐤔𐤅𐤍𐤅 𐤅𐤍𐤄𐤐𐤊 𐤉𐤐𐤅𐤋 𐤁𐤓𐤏𐤄
עִקֶּשׁ־ לֵ֭ב יִמְצָא־ לֹ֣א ט֑וֹב בִּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְ יִפּ֥וֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃ ‘iq·qeš- lêḇ yim·ṣā- lō ṭō·wḇ bil·šō·w·nōw wə·neh·pāḵ yip·pō·wl bə·rā·‘āh — WLC · 20
21
A man fathers a fool to his own grief the father of a fool has no joy.
𐤉𐤋𐤃 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤋𐤕𐤅𐤂𐤄 𐤋𐤅 𐤀𐤁𐤉 𐤍𐤁𐤋 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤇
יֹלֵ֣ד כְּ֭סִיל לְת֣וּגָה ל֑וֹ אֲבִ֣י נָבָֽל׃ וְלֹֽא־ יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח yō·lêḏ kə·sîl lə·ṯū·ḡāh lōw ’ă·ḇî nā·ḇāl wə·lō- yiś·maḥ — WLC · 21
22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
𐤔𐤌𐤇 𐤋𐤁 𐤉𐤉𐤈𐤁 𐤂𐤄𐤄 𐤍𐤊𐤀𐤄 𐤅𐤓𐤅𐤇 𐤕𐤉𐤁𐤔 𐤂𐤓𐤌
שָׂ֭מֵחַ לֵ֣ב יֵיטִ֣ב גֵּהָ֑ה נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה וְר֥וּחַ תְּיַבֶּשׁ־ גָּֽרֶם׃ śā·mē·aḥ lêḇ yê·ṭiḇ gê·hāh nə·ḵê·’āh wə·rū·aḥ tə·yab·beš- gā·rem — WLC · 22
23
A wicked [man] takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
𐤓𐤔𐤏 𐤉𐤒𐤇 𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤒 𐤔𐤇𐤃 𐤋𐤄𐤈𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤓𐤇𐤅𐤕 𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤈
רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח מֵ֭חֵיק שֹׁ֣חַד לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ rā·šā‘ yiq·qāḥ mê·ḥêq šō·ḥaḏ lə·haṭ·ṭō·wṯ ’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ miš·pāṭ — WLC · 23
24
Wisdom vvv is the focus of the discerning, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.
𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤕 𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤍 𐤅𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤁𐤒𐤑𐤄 𐤀𐤓𐤑
חָכְמָ֑ה אֶת־ פְּנֵ֣י מֵבִ֣ין וְעֵינֵ֥י כְ֝סִ֗יל בִּקְצֵה־ אָֽרֶץ׃ ḥāḵ·māh ’eṯ- pə·nê mê·ḇîn wə·‘ê·nê ḵə·sîl biq·ṣêh- ’ā·reṣ — WLC · 24
25
A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him.
𐤊𐤎𐤉𐤋 𐤁𐤍 𐤊𐤏𐤎 𐤋𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤌𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤉𐤅𐤋𐤃𐤕𐤅
כְּסִ֑יל בֵּ֣ן כַּ֣עַס לְ֭אָבִיו וּ֝מֶ֗מֶר לְיוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃ kə·sîl bên ka·‘as lə·’ā·ḇîw ū·me·mer lə·yō·w·laḏ·tōw — WLC · 25
26
It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.
𐤂𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤈𐤅𐤁 𐤏𐤍𐤅𐤔 𐤋𐤑𐤃𐤉𐤒 𐤋𐤄𐤊𐤅𐤕 𐤍𐤃𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤉𐤔𐤓
גַּ֤ם לֹא־ ט֑וֹב עֲנ֣וֹשׁ לַצַּדִּ֣יק לְהַכּ֖וֹת נְדִיבִ֣ים עַל־ יֹֽשֶׁר׃ gam lō- ṭō·wḇ ‘ă·nō·wōš laṣ·ṣad·dîq lə·hak·kō·wṯ nə·ḏî·ḇîm ‘al- yō·šer — WLC · 26
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A man of knowledge… restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
𐤉𐤅𐤃𐤏 𐤃𐤏𐤕 𐤇𐤅𐤔𐤊 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤒𐤓 𐤓𐤅𐤇
יוֹדֵ֣עַ דָּ֑עַת חוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ אֲ֭מָרָיו אִ֣ישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ וְקַר ר֝֗וּחַ yō·w·ḏê·a‘ dā·‘aṯ ḥō·w·śêḵ ’ă·mā·rāw ’îš tə·ḇū·nāh wə·qar — WLC · 27
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Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, [and] discerning when he holds his tongue.
𐤂𐤌 𐤀𐤅𐤉𐤋 𐤉𐤇𐤔𐤁 𐤇𐤊𐤌 𐤌𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤔 𐤍𐤁𐤅𐤍 𐤀𐤈𐤌 𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤉𐤅
גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב חָכָ֣ם מַ֭חֲרִישׁ נָבֽוֹן׃ אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו gam ’ĕ·wîl yê·ḥā·šêḇ ḥā·ḵām ma·ḥă·rîš nā·ḇō·wn ’ō·ṭêm śə·p̄ā·ṯāw — WLC · 28