Proverbs 25

The last puzzle pieces for the books of truth, ת Psalms, מ Proverbs, and א Job, אמת. I stuffed a few bits in that did not seem to fit well. I was doubting if I could even finish. (Holidays for the next week - no computer.)

There are undoubtedly several pieces under the carpet or stuck in the sofa. But 100% of the poetry is drafted, or read at least once. There is no doubt it will be revisited. Some well-known phrases have bitten the dust as usual, but such is the nature of playing with sound and concordance. I could not use heap, and the coals are just coals, not necessarily burning.

The word order in the traditional English in this section is quite changed from the Hebrew (unnecessarily), as if the translators were unaware of the cadence of the accents. But perhaps the men of Hezekiah had a standard that the traditional English translators have considered awkward.

And they were quinces, of course.

I have stuck with some very early decisions, and I wonder if I could change them. I wonder for instance, if I could eliminate being as a gloss for נפשׁ. Somehow I doubt it, but it is not an optimum gloss. Note the reflection of verse 13 in Psalm 23.

Remember in my tongue, רעה is not neighbour. Associate, friend, shepherd, are the glosses I use for רעה. Love your neighbour etc are רעה, not שׁכן (also glossed as neighbour in some translations). So where you read associate, think (if you are old school) the generic obligatory ethic towards neighbour.

Proverbs 25		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
גַּם־אֵ֭לֶּה מִשְׁלֵ֣י שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶ֝עְתִּ֗יקוּ אַנְשֵׁ֤י ׀ חִזְקִיָּ֬ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה	1		Also these are the proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah had transcribed.	3e	4C	8 15
כְּבֹ֣ד אֱ֭לֹהִים הַסְתֵּ֣ר דָּבָ֑ר וּכְבֹ֥ד מְ֝לָכִ֗ים חֲקֹ֣ר דָּבָֽר	2		The glory of God is to hide a matter, and the glory of sovereigns is to examine a matter.	3e	4B	9 9
שָׁמַ֣יִם לָ֭רוּם וָאָ֣רֶץ לָעֹ֑מֶק וְלֵ֥ב מְ֝לָכִ֗ים אֵ֣ין חֵֽקֶר	3		Heaven for exaltation and earth for the deeps, but the heart of sovereigns is beyond examining.	3e	4B	10 8
הָג֣וֹ סִיגִ֣ים מִכָּ֑סֶף וַיֵּצֵ֖א לַצֹּרֵ֣ף כֶּֽלִי	4		Ponder quietly swill from silver, and a vessel will emerge from the crucible.	3e	4B	7 8
הָג֣וֹ רָ֭שָׁע לִפְנֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ וְיִכּ֖וֹן בַּצֶּ֣דֶק כִּסְאֽוֹ	5		Ponder quietly wickedness before a sovereign, and established in righteousness is its throne.	3e	4B	7 8
אַל־תִּתְהַדַּ֥ר לִפְנֵי־מֶ֑לֶךְ וּבִמְק֥וֹם גְּ֝דֹלִ֗ים אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד	6		Do not honour yourself before a king, and in the place of the great, do not stand.	3e	4A	7 10
כִּ֤י ט֥וֹב אֲמָר־לְךָ֗ עֲ‍ֽלֵ֫ה הֵ֥נָּה מֵֽ֭הַשְׁפִּ֣ילְךָ לִפְנֵ֣י נָדִ֑יב אֲשֶׁ֖ר רָא֣וּ עֵינֶֽיךָ	7	C	For better it be said to you, Come up here, than you be humbled before a prince that your eyes had seen.	3e	4C	10 8 7
אַל־תֵּצֵ֥א לָרִ֗ב מַ֫הֵ֥ר פֶּ֣ן מַה־תַּ֭עֲשֶׂה בְּאַחֲרִיתָ֑הּ בְּהַכְלִ֖ים אֹתְךָ֣ רֵעֶֽךָ	8		Do not go forth to strive impetuously, for what will you do in its aftermath, should your associate humiliate you?	3e	4B	7 10 8
רִֽ֭יבְךָ רִ֣יב אֶת־רֵעֶ֑ךָ וְס֖וֹד אַחֵ֣ר אַל־תְּגָֽל	9	g	Strive your strife with your associate, and the deliberation afterwards, do not disclose.	3e	4B	7 7
פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ֥ שֹׁמֵ֑עַ וְ֝דִבָּתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תָשֽׁוּב	10		Lest one who hears show you mercy, and your defamation not turn away.	3e	4B	8 7
תַּפּוּחֵ֣י זָ֭הָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת כָּ֑סֶף דָּ֝בָ֗ר דָּבֻ֥ר עַל־אָפְנָֽיו	11		Quinces of gold in icons of silver, a word roundly spoken.	3e	4B	11 7
נֶ֣זֶם זָ֭הָב וַחֲלִי־כָ֑תֶם מוֹכִ֥יחַ חָ֝כָ֗ם עַל־אֹ֥זֶן שֹׁמָֽעַת	12	B	An earring of gold or a jewel of fine gold, one who is wise who corrects an ear that hears.	3e	4B	8 11
כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁ֨לֶג ׀ בְּי֬וֹם קָצִ֗יר צִ֣יר נֶ֭אֱמָן לְשֹׁלְחָ֑יו וְנֶ֖פֶשׁ אֲדֹנָ֣יו יָשִֽׁיב	13		As a grappling hook of snow in the day of a harvest, a faithful notification to its senders, and the being of its master it restores.	3e	4B	16 8
נְשִׂיאִ֣ים וְ֭רוּחַ וְגֶ֣שֶׁם אָ֑יִן אִ֥ישׁ מִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ל בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר	14		Mists and wind and shower there was none, a person boasting in a false donation.	3e	4B	11 9
בְּאֹ֣רֶךְ אַ֭פַּיִם יְפֻתֶּ֣ה קָצִ֑ין וְלָשׁ֥וֹן רַ֝כָּ֗ה תִּשְׁבָּר־גָּֽרֶם	15		By patience with anger, a dictator may be cajoled, and a tender tongue breaks strong bones.	3e	4B	10 9
דְּבַ֣שׁ מָ֭צָאתָ אֱכֹ֣ל דַּיֶּ֑ךָּ פֶּן־תִּ֝שְׂבָּעֶ֗נּוּ וַהֲקֵֽאתֽוֹ	16		Honey you found? Eat only enough for you, lest you are sated with it and you disgorge it.	3e	4B	10 9
הֹקַ֣ר רַ֭גְלְךָ מִבֵּ֣ית רֵעֶ֑ךָ פֶּן־יִ֝שְׂבָּעֲךָ֗ וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ	17		Make your foot rare from the house of your associate, lest he be sated with you and hate you.	3e	4B	10 9
מֵפִ֣יץ וְ֭חֶרֶב וְחֵ֣ץ שָׁנ֑וּן אִ֥ישׁ עֹנֶ֥ה בְ֝רֵעֵ֗הוּ עֵ֣ד שָֽׁקֶר	18		Dispersal and sword and sharp arrow, a person inflicting false witness against its associate.	3e	4B	9 10
שֵׁ֣ן רֹ֭עָה וְרֶ֣גֶל מוּעָ֑דֶת מִבְטָ֥ח בּ֝וֹגֵ֗ד בְּי֣וֹם צָרָֽה	19	B	A tooth-ache or a foot out of joint, the trust of treachery in the day of trouble.	3e	4B	9 8
מַ֥עֲדֶה בֶּ֨גֶד ׀ בְּי֣וֹם קָ֭רָה חֹ֣מֶץ עַל־נָ֑תֶר וְשָׁ֥ר בַּ֝שִּׁרִ֗ים עַ֣ל לֶב־רָֽע	20	f	An unstable garment on a cold day, vinegar on alkali, and a song sung to a heart dejected.	3e	4B	14 8
אִם־רָעֵ֣ב שֹׂ֭נַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵ֣הוּ לָ֑חֶם וְאִם־צָ֝מֵ֗א הַשְׁקֵ֥הוּ מָֽיִם	21		If one who hates you is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if thirsty, give him water to drink.	3e	4B	14 9
כִּ֤י גֶֽחָלִ֗ים אַ֭תָּה חֹתֶ֣ה עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה יְשַׁלֶּם־לָֽךְ	22	C	For coals you will stack on his head, and Yahweh will repay you.	3e	4C	11 6
ר֣וּחַ צָ֭פוֹן תְּח֣וֹלֵֽל גָּ֑שֶׁם וּפָנִ֥ים נִ֝זְעָמִ֗ים לְשׁ֣וֹן סָֽתֶר	23	B	A north wind writhes with heavy rain, and an indignant presence hides a tongue.	3e	4B	9 10
ט֗וֹב שֶׁ֥בֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּ֑ג מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים וּבֵ֥ית חָֽבֶר	24	~	Better to inhabit the corner of a roof, than a wife of dissension and a charmed house.	3e	4A	7 10
מַ֣יִם קָ֭רִים עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ עֲיֵפָ֑ה וּשְׁמוּעָ֥ה ט֝וֹבָ֗ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָֽק	25	B	Cold water to an exhausted throat, so is a good report from a distant land.	3e	4B	9 10
מַעְיָ֣ן נִ֭רְפָּשׂ וּמָק֣וֹר מָשְׁחָ֑ת צַ֝דִּ֗יק מָ֣ט לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע	26		From a submissive spring and from a fountain impaired, a righteous one dislodged in the face of wickedness.	3e	4B	9 6
אָ֘כֹ֤ל דְּבַ֣שׁ הַרְבּ֣וֹת לֹא־ט֑וֹב וְחֵ֖קֶר כְּבֹדָ֣ם כָּבֽוֹד	27	~	To eat honey to excess is not good, nor to examine their glory, is glory.	3e	4C	8 8
עִ֣יר פְּ֭רוּצָה אֵ֣ין חוֹמָ֑ה אִ֝֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵ֖ין מַעְצָ֣ר לְרוּחֽוֹ	28	B	A city breached without a wall, someone that is without containment for its spirit.	3e	4C	7 9