The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Better a bit of dry bread in peace, than a house full of feasting and violent behaviour.
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7 Better is a dry crust, and quietness therewith, than a bais full of zevakhim (sacrificial religious meals) with strife.
2 A servant who does wisely will have rule over a son causing shame, and will have his part in the heritage among brothers.
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An eved maskil (wise servant) shall have rule over a ben that causeth shame, and shall have a share of the nachalah among the achim.
3 The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.
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The crucible is for kesef, and the furnace for zahav, but Hashem is the testor of hearts.
4 A wrongdoer gives attention to evil lips, and a man of deceit gives ear to a damaging tongue.
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An evildoer giveth heed to false sfatayim (lips), and a sheker (liar) giveth ear to a spiteful lashon.
5 Whoever makes sport of the poor puts shame on his Maker; and he who is glad because of trouble will not go free from punishment.
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He who mocketh the poor showeth contempt for his Oseh (Maker), and he that gloats at calamities shall not go unpunished.
6 Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers.
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Bnei banim are the ateret of zekenim; and the tiferet of banim are their avot.
7 Fair words are not to be looked for from a foolish man, much less are false lips in a ruler.
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Eloquent speech becometh not a naval (fool), much less do lying sfatayim (lips) a ruler.
8 An offering of money is like a stone of great price in the eyes of him who has it: wherever he goes, he does well.
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A shochad (gift, bribe) is like a charm in the eynayim of him that hath it: wherever he turneth, he prospereth.
9 He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends.
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He that covereth a peysha (transgression) seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth the best of friends.
10 A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.
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Ge’arah (scolding) goeth deeper into a meiven than a hundred blows into a kesil (fool).
11 An uncontrolled man is only looking for trouble, so a cruel servant will be sent against him.
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A rah seeketh only rebellion; therefore a merciless malach shall be sent to him.
12 It is better to come face to face with a bear whose young ones have been taken away than with a foolish man acting foolishly.
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Let an ish meet a dov robbed of her cubs rather than a kesil in his folly.
13 If anyone gives back evil for good, evil will never go away from his house.
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He who rewardeth ra’ah for tovah, ra’ah shall not depart from his bais.
14 The start of fighting is like the letting out of water: so give up before it comes to blows.
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The beginning of madon (strife) is like releasing mayim, therefore stop contention before a quarrel begins.
15 He who gives a decision for the evil-doer and he who gives a decision against the upright, are equally disgusting to the Lord.
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He that justifieth the rashah, and he that condemneth the tzaddik, even they both are to’evah to Hashem.
16 How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?
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Why is there the purchase price in the yad of a kesil (fool) to acquire chochmah, seeing he hath no lev for it?
17 A friend is loving at all times, and becomes a brother in times of trouble.
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The re’a (friend) loveth at all times, and a brother is born for tzarah (adversity).
18 A man without sense gives his hand in an agreement, and makes himself responsible before his neighbour.
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Adam devoid of lev [of understanding] shaketh hands in pledge, and becometh the security deposit for his neighbor.
19 The lover of fighting is a lover of sin: he who makes high his doorway is looking for destruction.
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He loveth peysha (transgression, sin) that loveth strife, and he that maketh his threshold high seeketh shever (fracture).
20 Nothing good comes to him whose heart is fixed on evil purposes: and he who has an evil tongue will come to trouble.
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He that hath a crooked mind findeth no tov, and he that hath a deceitful lashon falleth into ra’ah.
21 He who has an unwise son gets sorrow for himself, and the father of a foolish son has no joy.
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He that begetteth a kesil doeth it to his sorrow, and the avi naval hath no simchah.
22 A glad heart makes a healthy body, but a crushed spirit makes the bones dry.
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A lev same’ach doeth tov like a medicine, but a downcast ruach drieth up the bones.
23 A sinner takes an offering out of his robe, to get a decision for himself in a cause.
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A rasha accepts a shochad (bribe) out of the kheyk (bosom, i.e., secretly) to pervert the orkhot mishpat (paths of justice).
24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.
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Chochmah is before the meiven (discerning one); but the eynayim of a kesil are on the ends of ha’aretz.
25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitter pain to her who gave him birth.
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A ben kesil is a ka’as (grief) to aviv (his father), and bitterness to her that bore him.
26 To give punishment to the upright is not good, or to give blows to the noble for their righteousness.
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Also to punish the tzaddik is not tov, nor to flog officials for their yashar (uprightness, integrity).
27 He who has knowledge says little: and he who has a calm spirit is a man of good sense.
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He that hath da’as spareth his words, and an ish tevunah (man of understanding) is of a calm ruach.
28 Even the foolish man, when he keeps quiet, is taken to be wise: when his lips are shut he is credited with good sense.
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Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted chacham, and he that shutteth his sfatayim (lips) is esteemed a man of understanding.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.