< Proverbs 25 >

1 Here are more wise sayings/words that Solomon [wrote]. Some men who worked for Hezekiah, the king of Judah, copied them [from a scroll that Solomon had written].
Hæ quoque parabolæ Salomonis, quas transtulerunt viri Ezechiæ regis Juda.
2 [We consider] God to be great because he (acts in mysterious ways/does things that we cannot understand); [we consider] kings to be great because they explain things.
Gloria Dei est celare verbum, et gloria regum investigare sermonem.
3 [It is not possible for anyone to measure] how high the sky is or how deep the earth/ocean is; likewise [SIM], it is not possible for us to know [all] that kings are thinking.
Cælum sursum, et terra deorsum, et cor regum inscrutabile.
4 [If workers] burn out the impure bits that are in silver, a man who makes things from silver can make something beautiful from the silver.
Aufer rubiginem de argento, et egredietur vas purissimum.
5 [Similarly, if] wicked [advisors] are taken away from a king, his government will remain secure, because [the king will be able to] act justly.
Aufer impietatem de vultu regis, et firmabitur justitia thronus ejus.
6 When you stand in front of a king, do not try to (impress him/honor yourself) and do not (act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit; )
Ne gloriosus appareas coram rege, et in loco magnorum ne steteris.
7 it is better if someone tells you to sit closer [to the king] than for [someone to tell you], while the king is listening, to sit further away in order that someone who is more important [may sit closer to the king].
Melius est enim ut dicatur tibi: Ascende huc, quam ut humilieris coram principe.
8 Do not quickly go to a court [to tell the judge about] something that you have seen, because another witness may later [say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result] you will be disgraced/ashamed. If that happens, (what will you do?/you will not know what to do.) [RHQ]
Quæ viderunt oculi tui ne proferas in jurgio cito, ne postea emendare non possis, cum dehonestaveris amicum tuum.
9 If you and someone else think differently about some matter, settle it between yourselves, and do not tell others any secret [that he has told you].
Causam tuam tracta cum amico tuo, et secretum extraneo ne reveles:
10 If others find out that you have told secrets, you will be ashamed, and from that time on, (you will have a bad reputation/people will think badly about you).
ne forte insultet tibi cum audierit, et exprobrare non cesset. Gratia et amicitia liberant: quas tibi serva, ne exprobrabilis fias.
11 Something that is said that is [very] appropriate is [as delightful as seeing] [SIM] gold apples/ornaments in a silver bowl.
Mala aurea in lectis argenteis, qui loquitur verbum in tempore suo.
12 When a wise person rebukes/warns someone [SYN] who is willing to listen, that is [as valuable as] [SIM] a gold ring or a gold chain.
Inauris aurea, et margaritum fulgens, qui arguit sapientem et aurem obedientem.
13 A messenger who (is reliable/tells someone else exactly what he was told to say) refreshes [the spirits of] his bosses who sent him like [SIM] (snow/cold water) refreshes [the ground] at the time that [people] harvest crops.
Sicut frigus nivis in die messis, ita legatus fidelis ei qui misit eum: animam ipsius requiescere facit.
14 When someone promises to give a gift to us but never gives it, [that disappoints us] as much as [SIM] clouds and wind that come but do not bring any rain.
Nubes, et ventus, et pluviæ non sequentes, vir gloriosus et promissa non complens.
15 If someone keeps requesting a ruler long enough to do something, he will [often] agree to do it; similarly, by speaking [MTY] gently we can [often] convince [others that what we say is right] [IDM].
Patientia lenietur princeps, et lingua mollis confringet duritiam.
16 If you find some honey, do not eat a lot of it, because doing that may cause you to vomit.
Mel invenisti: comede quod sufficit tibi, ne forte satiatus evomas illud.
17 Do not go to your neighbor’s house very often [to talk with him]; if you go [very] often, he will get tired of listening to you and start to hate you.
Subtrahe pedem tuum de domo proximi tui, nequando satiatus oderit te.
18 To falsely accuse others [in court] is like [SIM] [attacking them with] a war-club or a sword or a sharp arrow.
Jaculum, et gladius, et sagitta acuta, homo qui loquitur contra proximum suum falsum testimonium.
19 Depending on unreliable people when you have troubles is [as bad] as [trying to eat when] you have a bad/hurting tooth or [trying to walk when] your foot is crippled.
Dens putridus, et pes lassus, qui sperat super infideli in die angustiæ,
20 Singing to someone who is depressed [just causes him to feel worse]; it is like [SIM] taking off clothes on a very cold day or like putting vinegar on a wound.
et amittit pallium in die frigoris. Acetum in nitro, qui cantat carmina cordi pessimo. Sicut tinea vestimento, et vermis ligno, ita tristitia viri nocet cordi.
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum; si sitierit, da ei aquam bibere:
22 doing that will cause them to feel ashamed [IDM], and Yahweh will reward you for doing that.
prunas enim congregabis super caput ejus, et Dominus reddet tibi.
23 When wind blows from the right direction, it will rain; [similarly] [SIM], if we gossip about others, that causes them to look at us very angrily.
Ventus aquilo dissipat pluvias, et facies tristis linguam detrahentem.
24 It is better to live ([alone/by yourself]) in the corner of an attic/housetop than to live inside the house with a wife who is [always] nagging.
Melius est sedere in angulo domatis quam cum muliere litigiosa et in domo communi.
25 Receiving good news from a country far away refreshes our spirits like [SIM] cold water refreshes us when we are very thirsty.
Aqua frigida animæ sitienti, et nuntius bonus de terra longinqua.
26 When a righteous/good person (gives in/yields) to wicked [people], that is [as bad] as [SIM] a spring that becomes muddied or a fountain that becomes polluted.
Fons turbatus pede et vena corrupta, justus cadens coram impio.
27 It is not good to eat too much honey, and trying to get people to praise you is also not good.
Sicut qui mel multum comedit non est ei bonum, sic qui scrutator est majestatis opprimetur a gloria.
28 People who (cannot control their tempers/quickly become very angry) [are unable to defend their behavior]; that is like [having] a city without a wall around it, [with the result that no one can defend it].
Sicut urbs patens et absque murorum ambitu, ita vir qui non potest in loquendo cohibere spiritum suum.

< Proverbs 25 >