箴言 21
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
21 耶和华掌管君王的心，
易如支配垄沟的流水。
2 人自以为行事正确，
但耶和华衡量人心。
3 秉公行义比献祭更蒙耶和华喜悦。
4 高傲的眼，狂妄的心，恶人的灯，
都是罪恶。
5 勤劳者的计划必致富足，
行事急躁的人必致贫困。
6 骗来的财如过眼云雾，
使人掉进死亡的陷阱。
7 恶人的暴力必毁灭自己，
因为他们行事不公不义。
8 犯罪的人行径扭曲，
纯洁的人行为正直。
9 宁愿住在房顶的一角，
也不跟争闹之妻同屋。
10 恶人贪恋邪恶，
对邻舍残忍无情。
11 惩罚嘲讽者，愚人得智慧；
训诫智者，他便长见识。
12 公义的上帝鉴察恶人的家，
祂必使他们灭亡。
13 掩耳不听穷人呼求的，
他将来求救也无人管。
14 暗中送的礼物能平息愤怒，
塞进怀里的贿赂止息盛怒。
15 正义得到伸张，
义人喜、恶人怕。
16 人偏离明智之道，
终必与阴魂为伍。
17 贪图享受必穷困，
奢华宴乐难富足。
18 恶人作义人的赎价，
奸徒替正直人受苦。
19 宁愿独居旷野，
不跟吵闹易怒的女子同住。
20 智者家中积存宝物和油，
愚人将所有的挥霍一空。
21 追求公义与慈爱的，
必寻得生命、公义和尊荣。
22 智者攀上勇士的城池，
摧毁他们倚仗的坚垒。
23 管住口舌，免遭祸患。
24 嘲讽者狂妄自大，
行事骄横无比。
25 懒人的欲望害死自己，
因为他的手不肯做工。
26 懒人整天贪得无厌，
义人施舍毫不吝啬。
27 恶人的祭物已经可憎，
何况他怀着恶意来献！
28 作伪证的终灭亡，
道实情的常发言。
29 恶人虚张声势，
正直人谨慎行事。
30 任何智慧、悟性和谋略，
都不能对抗耶和华。
31 马为争战之日预备，
胜败由耶和华决定。
Proverbs 21
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 21
The Lord Weighs the Heart[a]
1 A king’s heart is like a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it wherever he pleases.
2 A man’s ways may seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.[b]
4 Haughty eyes[c] and a proud heart—
the lamp of the wicked—are nothing but sin.
5 The plans of the diligent will ensure profit,
but rash haste will surely lead to poverty.
6 One who amasses a fortune by means of a lying tongue
is pursuing a fleeting vapor that leads to death.
7 The violence of the wicked will sweep them away
because they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is crooked,
but the conduct of the innocent is straightforward.
9 It is better to live on the corner of a roof
than to share a spacious house with a nagging wife.[d]
10 The soul of the wicked man is intent on evil;
his neighbor beholds no pity in his countenance.
11 When the scoffer[e] is punished, the simple become wiser;
when the wise man is instructed, he increases in knowledge.
12 The Righteous One watches the house of the evildoer
and brings the evildoer to destruction.
13 One who shuts his ears to the cries of the poor
will himself also cry out and not be heard.
14 A gift given secretly appeases anger,
and a gift concealed in the cloak will avert violent wrath.
15 When justice is done, the upright rejoice,
but evildoers are filled with terror.
16 Anyone who strays from the way of prudence
will rest in the company of the shades.[f]
17 Whoever craves pleasure will end up in want;
whoever loves wine and oil will never grow rich.
18 The wicked man serves as a ransom for the righteous,[g]
as does the faithless man for the upright.
19 It is better to live alone in the wilderness
than with a nagging and irritable wife.
20 The house of the wise man is filled with precious treasure and oil,
but the fool squanders all he has.
21 Whoever pursues righteousness[h] and kindness
will find life and honor too.
22 A wise man can storm a city of warriors
and overthrow the stronghold[i] upon which they relied.
23 One who guards his mouth and his tongue
will preserve himself from trouble.
24 A scoffer[j] is a proud and insolent man
who is haughty in everything he does.
25 The cravings of the idler[k] will prove fatal,
since his hands will do no work.
26 All day long the godless man continues to covet,
whereas the righteous man gives unsparingly.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abhorrent,
and more so when it is offered for evil motives.[l]
28 A false witness will perish,
but a truthful witness will never be silenced.
29 A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but an upright man amends his ways.
30 Neither wisdom nor understanding nor counsel
can be of avail against the Lord.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.[m]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:1 There is nothing unexpected in these reflections that oppose the lot of the righteous and that of the wicked, or in these comparative illustrations of wisdom and folly. The traditional teaching then in vogue about the earthly recompense of the righteous and the conviction that the wicked hasten to their ruin even on earth remain in full force. We will read two apt words about the quarrelsome woman, but this is not the first time this caricature appears in the Book. Verse 18 seems to stem from a pessimistic realism: wickedness will forever play its part in the universe! But we will meditate above all on the affirmation that the entire destiny of human beings is found in the hands of God (vv. 2, 30-31).
- Proverbs 21:3 More acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice: internal goodness is more acceptable to the Lord than external sacrifice (see v. 27; 15:8; 1 Sam 15:22; Isa 1:11-15; Am 5:22; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:7-8; Mal 1:12).
- Proverbs 21:4 Haughty eyes: see note on Prov 6:17; see also Prov 16:5, 18.
- Proverbs 21:9 Nagging wife: see note on Prov 19:13.
- Proverbs 21:11 Scoffer: see note on Prov 1:22; see also Prov 14:3; 19:29. Simple: see note on Prov 1:4.
- Proverbs 21:16 Company of the shades: i.e., the dead in the netherworld.
- Proverbs 21:18 The wicked man serves as a ransom for the righteous: this thought is exemplified in the history of Israel; e.g., God ransomed the exiles of Judah from the Persian conqueror Cyrus by giving him three nations (Egypt, Ethiopia, and Seba) in ransom (see Isa 43:1ff).
- Proverbs 21:21 Pursues righteousness: see Prov 15:9. Life and honor: these are the same benefits received by those who seek wisdom (see note on Prov 3:2; see also Prov 3:16; 8:18; 22:4).
- Proverbs 21:22 A wise man can . . . overthrow the stronghold: i.e., “wisdom is better than power” (Eccl 9:16). See also Prov 24:5; 2 Cor 10:14, both of which indicate that spiritual weapons have divine power to overthrow strongholds.
- Proverbs 21:24 Scoffer: see note on Prov 1:22. Such a person is punished because of his pride (see v. 11; 3:34; 19:25, 29).
- Proverbs 21:25 Idler: see note on Prov 6:6.
- Proverbs 21:27 See note on Prov 21:3.
- Proverbs 21:31 Neither horses nor chariots nor any other means of fighting a battle can ensure victory (see Ps 20:8; Hos 1:7; see Deut 7:16), since it is the Lord alone who ensures victory (see 1 Sam 17:47; Pss 3:9; 27:1; 28:9; 33:12-19; Isa 31:1; 43:3; Rev 7:10).
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
