Paragraph 22:24–25 Saying 2

22:24

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

24a
Do not make friends with an angry man,

24b
do not associate with a hot-tempered man,

These parallel commands warn the listener not to associate with a person who frequently loses his temper.

22:24a–b

Do not make friends with…and do not associate with: These parallel commands have essentially the same meaning. Some other ways to translate these commands are:

Do not associate with…or go about with (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
Never make friends with…nor keep company with (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Don’t make friends with…or spend time with (New Century Version)

an angry man…a hot-tempered man: In Hebrew, the first phrase is literally “master of anger.” The second phrase is literally “man of heats/rages.” These phrases both describe a person who is characterized by anger and easily loses his temper. Some other ways to translate these phrases are:

angry people…hot-tempered people (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
someone prone to anger…anyone hot-tempered (Revised English Bible
-or-
a person who easily/always gets angry…a person who easily loses his temper

If your language has idioms that express these meanings, consider using them here.

General Comment on 22:24a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. For example:

Don’t make friends with anyone who has a bad temper. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Don’t make friends with people who are always angry and lose their tempers.

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