Amsal 26
1 Seperti salju mustahil turun pada musim panas atau hujan pada musim panen, demikianlah kehormatan tidak pernah cocok diberikan kepada orang bodoh.
Just [like] [SIM] [it is not appropriate for] snow [to fall] in summer time, or rain [to fall] at harvest time, it is not appropriate to praise/honor foolish people.
2 Seperti burung pipit atau walet yang terbang melayang-layang, demikianlah kutuk tanpa alasan yang benar tidak akan menghinggapi engkau.
Like [SIM] birds that fly by [and do not alight/land on anything], if someone curses you, it cannot hurt you if you (do not deserve them/have not done to him what is wrong).
3 Seperti cambuk digunakan untuk mengarahkan kuda, dan tali kekang untuk keledai, demikianlah hajaran diperlukan untuk mendidik orang bebal.
It is necessary to whip a horse and to put a bridle on a donkey [to force them to go where we want them to go], and similarly [SIM] [it is often necessary to strike] foolish people with a stick [to cause them to do what is right].
4 Tidak usah menjawab ucapan bodoh orang bebal bila jawabanmu itu bisa membuat dia mengira bahwa engkau membenarkan kebodohannya.
If a foolish person asks a foolish question, [do not answer him], because [if you answer his question], you are just as foolish as he is.
5 Namun, ada waktunya engkau perlu membantah orang bebal, supaya dia tidak menganggap dirinya bijak.
If you give a foolish answer to someone who asks a foolish question, he will realize that he is (not very wise/foolish).
6 Menugaskan orang bodoh untuk menyampaikan pesan akan mendatangkan celaka, sama seperti mematahkan kaki sendiri.
Anyone who asks a foolish person to take a message to someone [is himself doing something as foolish as] cutting off his own feet or drinking poison.
7 Orang lumpuh memang mempunyai kaki, tetapi kakinya tidak berfungsi. Orang bebal bisa mengucapkan amsal, tetapi kata-kata itu tidak bermanfaat baginya.
A lame man cannot use his legs, and similarly [SIM] [it is useless for] a foolish person to speak [MTY] (proverbs/wise sayings).
8 Memberi hormat kepada orang bebal adalah kesia-siaan, sama seperti mengikatkan batu pada ketapel.
Tying a stone in a sling [so that it cannot be thrown at a target] is [as foolish as] [SIM] honoring a foolish person.
9 Jika orang mabuk mengayunkan batang berduri, hati-hati! Dan jika orang bebal mengucapkan amsal, awas! Itu juga berbahaya.
If a drunk person waves some thorns/brambles with his hand, [he is not able to accomplish anything useful by doing that] (OR, [he does not feel it when a thorn sticks in his hand]); similarly, if foolish people speak [MTY] proverbs, [they do not help anyone who hears them].
10 Seperti bahayanya memanah tanpa membidik, demikianlah resiko mempekerjakan orang bodoh atau orang tak dikenal.
A man who shoots arrows [to try] to wound everybody who is near [is foolish]; similarly, anyone who hires a foolish person [who passes by is very foolish].
11 Orang bebal yang mengulangi perbuatan bodohnya sama seperti anjing yang memakan kembali muntahnya.
A foolish person will foolishly do something stupid a second time; it is [like] [SIM] a dog returning to [eat] what it has vomited.
12 Pernahkah engkau melihat orang yang menganggap dirinya bijak? Nah, mengajar orang bodoh jauh lebih mudah daripada mendidik orang seperti itu.
[God] can help/bless foolish people more easily than he can help/bless people who are not wise [RHQ], but think that they are wise.
13 Si pemalas membuat alasan, “Ada singa di jalan! Kalau aku keluar, aku akan diterkam.”
Lazy people [just stay inside their houses and do nothing]; [they keep] saying “[I think] there is a lion in the street!”
14 Seperti pintu yang hanya berputar pada engselnya, demikianlah si pemalas di atas tempat tidurnya.
A door [continually] swings back and forth on its hinges [and does not go anywhere]; similarly [SIM], lazy people [just continually turn over] in their beds [and never do anything].
15 Si pemalas menyendok makanan dari piringnya, tetapi dia terlalu malas untuk memasukkannya ke mulut.
Some people are extremely lazy; they put their hand in a dish [to get some food] but do not [even] lift the food up to their mouths.
16 Si pemalas merasa dirinya bijak, bahkan lebih bijak daripada banyak penasihat.
Lazy people think that they are wiser than seven/several people who can answer [others’ questions] with good sense.
17 Ibarat menangkap telinga anjing liar, demikianlah orang yang ikut campur dalam pertengkaran orang lain.
Anyone who (meddles/involves himself) in a quarrel that does not concern him is [as foolish as] [SIM] someone who tries to grab a passing dog by its ears.
18 Seperti orang gila sembarangan menembakkan panah berapi yang mematikan, lalu si penipu berkata, “Ah, aku hanya bercanda.”
Crazy people who shoot burning arrows to kill people
are as foolish as those who deceive someone else and [then] say, “I was only joking.”
20 Api akan padam ketika kayu bakar habis, begitulah pertengkaran akan berhenti ketika tidak ada lagi yang bergosip.
If there is no [more] firewood [to put on the fire], the fire will go out; similarly [SIM], if there are no people who (gossip/tell people things that are not true), quarreling will end.
21 Seperti arang dan kayu membuat api terus menyala, demikianlah orang yang suka berdebat akan mengobarkan pertengkaran.
[Putting] charcoal on burning coals or [putting] wood on a fire [causes the fire to keep burning]; similarly, people who like to quarrel cause people to keep arguing.
22 Bergosip terasa sedap di mulut. Orang mengunyahnya seperti makanan dan mempercayainya sepenuh hati.
People [enjoy listening to what gossips say about others just like] [SIM] they enjoy tasty food; they [enjoy listening to what gossips tell them like] they enjoy swallowing tasty food.
23 Seperti periuk tanah liat dilapisi perak, demikianlah niat jahat disembunyikan di balik mulut yang manis.
People who say nice things when they are thinking about doing evil things are like a nice glaze/covering on a [cheap] clay pot.
24 Orang yang membenci akan menyusun rencana jahat di hatinya, dan menyembunyikan niat jahat itu dengan berpura-pura ramah.
Those who hate someone and are saying [MTY] something very different from what they are thinking are hypocrites; they are only planning [to harm that person].
25 Walaupun baik perkataannya, jangan percaya kepadanya, karena diam-diam dia merencanakan berbagai maksud jahat.
When they say nice things, do not believe them, because in their inner beings are many things that [Yahweh] hates.
26 Dia bisa menutupi kebenciannya dengan berpura-pura baik, namun pada akhirnya semua orang akan mengetahui kejahatannya.
They try to deceive people to cause them to think that they do not hate [that person], but in a public meeting, the people will find out the evil things [that they have done].
27 Siapa menggali lubang untuk menjebak orang lain akan jatuh ke lubangnya sendiri. Dan siapa menggulingkan batu untuk mencelakakan orang lain akan tertimpa oleh batu itu sendiri.
Those who dig a deep pit [for other people to fall into] will fall into it themselves; rocks will roll down on those who start to cause rocks to roll down [to crush someone].
28 Berhati-hatilah terhadap pujian yang berlebihan karena sanjungan membuatmu lengah dan terjatuh. Orang yang membencimu pasti berbohong kepadamu.
Those [MTY] who tell lies to others [really] hate them, and those who deceive [others] ruin them.
