Better is a dry morsel, and quietness with it, than a house full of feasting with strife.

Better a dry loaf and peace with it than a house full of slaughtered [meat in the midst of] contention [i.e., It was better for the L-rd to destroy His Temple and His city and be at peace from the transgressions of Israel than to have them sacrifice offerings therein in the midst of strife].

A wise servant shall control a son who acts shamefully, and shall share the inheritance among the brethren.

The wise servant [(Nevuchadnezzar)] will rule over the shameful son [(Israel)] and in the midst of brothers will apportion the inheritance [(to himself)].

The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord tries the hearts.

The refining pot for [assaying and refining] silver, and the crucible for gold, but the L-rd assays hearts.

A wicked doer gives heed to false lips; and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

The wicked man listens to iniquitous speech [(slander and false testimony)]; the false man listens to the destroying tongue.

One who mocks the poor insults his maker: and one who is glad at calamity shall not go unpunished.

He who mocks the poor man insults his Maker; he who rejoices in [another's] misfortune will not be clean [of it himself].

Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

The crown of the old are grandchildren [(who walk in the way of good)], and the glory of children are their fathers [(who are righteous)].

Haughty speech does not befit a churl: much less do lying lips a prince.

Lofty speech does not become the churl; how much more so, lying speech the noble one.

A bribe is a fair jewel to the eyes of him who dispenses it: wherever it turns it brings success.

A precious stone is appeasement [(of the L-rd)] in the eyes of his [(the appeaser's, the penitent's,)] Master. Wherever he turns [i.e., in whatever he asks of Him], He will prosper [him].

He that covers a transgression seeks love; but he that repeats a matter separates close friends.

One who conceals an offense [done against him (by not mentioning it)] seeks love [i.e., causes the offender to love him], and one who repeats a thing [i.e., one who always brings up the offense to his face] divorces the Ruler [from himself].

A reproof enters more into a wise man than a hundred blows into a fool.

The humbling [effect] of a rebuke in an understanding person [is more evident] than [the effect of] a hundred blows to the fool.

An evil man seeks only to be insolent: but a stern messenger shall be sent against him.

The rebellious one seeks only evil, and a cruel angel will be sent against him.

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

Better to be met by a bear bereaved [(of its cubs)] than by a fool [(an idolator)] in his folly [(enticing to idolatry)].

Whoever rewards evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

One who returns evil for good — evil will not depart from his house.

The beginning of strife is like letting out water: therefore leave off contention, before it breaks out.

As opening [the way for] water [to escape] is beginning a quarrel; before it [(your shame)] is revealed, abandon it [(the quarrel)].

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them are abomination to the Lord.

Justifying an evildoer and condemning the righteous one — both of these are the abomination of the L-rd.

Why is the purchase price of wisdom in the hand of a fool, seeing he has no sense?

Of what use is payment in the hand of a fool to acquire wisdom [(Torah)] if the heart [(to fulfill it)] is lacking [(and he learns it only to acquire a name)]?

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

At all times love friends [(to acquire them)], and a brother in [a time of] affliction will he be born.

A man who strikes the palm is void of understanding, in becoming surety in the presence of his friend.

The man lacking a heart clasps hands, going security for his friend.

He loves transgression that loves strife: and he that makes high his door seeks destruction.

One who loves to offend [(his neighbor)] loves to quarrel; one who lifts his voice [in pride] seeks breaking.

He that has a crooked heart finds no good: and he that has a perverse tongue falls into mischief.

The perverse of heart will not find good, and he who turns away [his true intent] with his tongue will fall into the evil [he plotted against the other].

He that begets a fool does it to his sorrow: and the father of a churl has no joy.

One who has begotten a fool has done so to his sorrow, and the father of a churl will not rejoice.

A merry heart is a good medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.

A happy heart [(in contentment with one's lot)] heightens shining [(of countenance)], but a broken spirit dries the bone.

A wicked man takes a bribe out of the bosom to pervert the ways of justice.

He [(the L-rd)] accepts appeasement from the recesses of the wicked one [(i.e., in secret)] to turn the paths of judgment [(from severity to lenity)].

Wisdom is before him that has understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Wisdom lies before the understanding one [i.e., he perceives it as easily accessible to him]; but the eyes of the fool [vis-à-vis] wisdom are in the ends of the earth.

A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him.

A foolish son is ire to his father [(e.g., Yeravam to the L-rd)] and bitterness to her who bore him [(i.e., to the congregation of Israel, whom he caused to sin)].

Neither is it good to punish an innocent man, nor to give blows to noble men for their integrity.

To punish the righteous, too, [(along with the wicked)] is not good [viz. I Kings 19:18], to smite the noble in [their] justness.

He that has knowledge spares his words: and a man of understanding is slow to anger.

The knower of wisdom spares his words; the man of understanding is chary of breath [i.e., speech].

Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Even one who silences a fool is accounted wise; one who stops up his [the fool's] lips [is accounted] understanding.