Proverbs 21

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Proverbs 21

1As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it wherever he may desire to point out.Ὥσπερ ὁρμὴ ὕδατος, οὕτως καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ, οὗ ἐὰν θέλων νεῦσαι ἐκεῖ ἔκλινεν αὐτήν.

2Every man seems to himself righteous; but the Lord directs the hearts.Πᾶς ἀνὴρ φαίνεται ἑαυτῷ δίκαιος, κατευθύνει δὲ καρδίας Κύριος.

3To 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.

4A 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.

6He 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.

7Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly; for they refuse to do justly.Ὄλεθρος ἀσεβέσιν ἐπιξενωθήσεται, οὐ γὰρ βούλονται πράσσειν τὰ δίκαια.

8To 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.

9It is better to dwell in a corner * on the house-top, than in plastered rooms with unrighteousness, and in an open house.Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐπὶ γωνίας ὑπαίθρου, ἢ ἐν κεκονιαμένοις μετὰ ἀδικίας καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ κοινῷ.

10The soul of the ungodly shall not be pitied by any man.Ψυχὴ ἀσεβοῦς οὐκ ἐλεηθήσεται ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

11When 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.

12A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly: and despises the ungodly for their wickedness.Συνιεῖ δίκαιος καρδίας ἀσεβῶν, καὶ φαυλίζει ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κακοῖς.

13He 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.

14A 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.

15It 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.

16A man that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of † giants.Ἀνὴρ πλανώμενος ἐξ ὁδοῦ δικαιοσύνης, ἐν συναγωγῇ γιγάντων ἀναπαύσεται.

17A poor man loves mirth, loving wine and oil in abundance;Ἀνὴρ ἐνδεὴς ἀγαπᾷ εὐφροσύνην, φιλῶν οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον εἰς πλοῦτον·

18and a transgressor is the ‡ abomination of a righteous man.Περικάθαρμα δὲ δικαίου ἄνομος.

19It 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.

20A 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.

21The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory.Ὁδὸς δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης εὑρήσει ζωὴν καὶ δόξαν.

22A 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.

23He 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.

24A 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.

25Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.Ἐπιθυμίαι ὀκνηρὸν ἀποκτείνουσιν, οὐ γὰρ προαιροῦνται αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν τι.

26An 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.

27The sacrifices of the ungodly are abomination to the Lord, for they offer them wickedly. §Θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα Κυρίῳ, καὶ γὰρ παρανόμως προσφέρουσιν αὐτάς.

28A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.Μάρτυς ψευδὴς ἀπολεῖται, ἀνὴρ δὲ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει.

29An ungodly man ** impudently withstands with his face; but the upright man himself understands his ways.Ἀσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀναιδῶς ὑφίσταται προσώπῳ, ὁ δὲ εὐθὺς αὐτὸς συνιεῖ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ.

30There 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.

31A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but help is of the Lord.Ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου, παρὰ δὲ Κυρίου ἡ βοήθεια.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 9*Gr. in the open air.
• v. 16†Heb. Rephaim.
• v. 18‡Gr. `off-scouring;' perhaps `ransom,' q. d. that which cleans.
• v. 27§Or, unlawfully.
• v. 29**See Alex. ungodly.