As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it whithersoever he may desire to point out.
Ὥσπερ ὁρμὴ ὕδατος, οὕτως καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ, οὗ ἐὰν θέλων νεῦσαι ἐκεῖ ἔκλινεν αὐτήν.
The Old Testament
Proverbs 21
ΠΑΡΟΙΜΙΑΙ ΣΟΛΟΜΩΝΤΟΣ · 21
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30 Brenton verses
Every man seems to himself righteous; but the Lord directs the hearts.
Πᾶς ἀνὴρ φαίνεται ἑαυτῷ δίκαιος, κατευθύνει δὲ καρδίας Κύριος.
To do justly and to speak truth, are more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices.
Ποιεῖν δίκαια καὶ ἀληθεύειν, ἀρεστὰ παρὰ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα.
A high-minded man is stout-hearted in his pride; and the lamp of the wicked is sin.
Μεγαλόφρων ἐν ὕβρει θρασυκάρδιος, λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἁμαρτία.
He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity on to the snares of death.
Ὁ ἐνεργῶν θησαυρίσματα γλώσσῃ ψευδεῖ, μάταια διώκει ἐπὶ παγίδας θανάτου.
Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly; for they refuse to do justly.
Ὄλεθρος ἀσεβέσιν ἐπιξενωθήσεται, οὐ γὰρ βούλονται πράσσειν τὰ δίκαια.
To the froward God sends froward ways; for his works are pure and right.
Πρὸς τοὺς σκολιοὺς σκολιὰς ὁδοὺς ἀποστέλλει ὁ Θεὸς, ἁγνὰ γὰρ καὶ ὀρθὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.
It is better to dwell in a corner on the house-top, than in plastered rooms with unrighteousness, and in an open house.
Source notes (1)
- Gr. in the open air.
Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου, ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ.
The soul of the ungodly shall not be pitied by any man.
Ψυχὴ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἐλεηθήσεται ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
When an intemperate man is punished the simple becomes wiser: and a wise man understanding will receive knowledge.
Ζημιουμένου ἀκολάστου πανουργότερος γίνεται ὁ ἄκακος, συνιῶν δὲ σοφὸς δέξεται γνῶσιν.
A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly: and despises the ungodly for their wickedness.
Συνιεῖ δίκαιος καρδίας ἀσεβῶν, καὶ φαυλίζει ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κακοῖς.
He that stops his ears from hearing the poor, himself also shall cry, and there shall be none to hear him.
Ὃς φράσσει τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἐπακοῦσαι ἀσθενοῦς, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπικαλέσεται καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ εἰσακούων.
A secret gift calms anger: but he that forbears to give stirs up strong wrath.
Δόσις λάθριος ἀνατρέπει ὀργάς, δώρων δὲ ὁ φειδόμενος θυμὸν ἐγείρει ἰσχυρόν.
It is the joy of the righteous to do judgment: but a holy man is abominable with evil-doers.
Εὐφροσύνη δικαίων ποιεῖν κρίμα, ὅσιος δὲ ἀκάθαρτος παρὰ κακούργοις.
A man that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of giants.
Source notes (1)
- Heb. Rephaim. see Appendix. Note on 2 Kings 5. 18.
Ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης, ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται.
A poor man loves mirth, loving wine and oil in abundance;
Ἀνὴρ ἐνδεὴς ἀγαπᾷ εὐφροσύνην, φιλῶν οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον εἰς πλοῦτον·
and a transgressor is the abomination of a righteous man.
Source notes (1)
- Gr. `off-scouring;' perhaps `ransom,' q. d. that which cleans.
Περικάθαρμα δὲ δικαίου ἄνομος.
It is better to dwell in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and talkative and passionate woman.
Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ καὶ ὀργίλου.
A desirable treasure will rest on the mouth of the wise; but foolish men will swallow it up.
Θησαυρὸς ἐπιθυμητὸς ἀναπαύσεται ἐπὶ στόματος σοφοῦ, ἄφρονες δὲ ἄνδρες καταπίονται αὐτόν.
The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory.
Ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν.
A wise man assaults strong cities, and demolishes the fortress in which the ungodly trusted.
Πόλεις ὀχυρὰς ἐπέβη σοφὸς, καὶ καθεῖλε τὸ ὀχύρωμα ἐφʼ ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν οἱ ἀσεβεῖς.
He that keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from trouble.
Ὃς φυλάσσει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν, διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ.
A bold and self-willed and insolent man is called a pest: and he that remembers injuries is a transgressor.
Θρασὺς καὶ αὐθάδης καὶ ἀλαζὼν λοιμὸς καλεῖται, ὃς δὲ μνησικακεῖ παράνομος.
Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.
Ἐπιθυμίαι ὀκνηρὸν ἀποκτείνουσιν, οὐ γὰρ προαιροῦνται αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν τι.
An ungodly man entertains evil desires all the day: but the righteous is unsparingly merciful and compassionate.
Ἀσεβὴς ἐπιθυμεῖ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπιθυμίας κακὰς, ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐλεᾷ καὶ οἰκτείρει ἀφειδῶς.
The sacrifices of the ungodly are abomination to the Lord, for they offer them wickedly.
Source notes (1)
- Or, unlawfully.
Θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα Κυρίῳ, καὶ γὰρ παρανόμως προσφέρουσιν αὐτάς.
A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.
Μάρτυς ψευδὴς ἀπολεῖται, ἀνὴρ δὲ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει.
An ungodly man impudently withstands with his face; but the upright man himself understands his ways.
Source notes (1)
- See Alex. ungodly.
Ἀσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀναιδῶς ὑφίσταται προσώπῳ, ὁ δὲ εὐθὺς αὐτὸς συνιεῖ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.
There is no wisdom, there is no courage, there is no counsel against the ungodly.
Οὐκ ἔστι σοφία, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνδρεία, οὐκ ἔστι βουλὴ πρὸς τὸν ἀσεβῆ.
A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but help is of the Lord.
Ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου, παρὰ δὲ Κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια.
Brenton supplied wording, small capitals, translation notes, Greek wording, and edition-specific verse identifiers are retained. Parallel passages keep each edition's own references. Editions and sources.