< Proverbs 2 >

1 [My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;
בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֺתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּֽךְ׃
2 thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.
לְהַקְשִׁיב לַֽחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃
3 For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;
כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃
4 and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;
אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃
5 then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָֽא׃
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,
כִּֽי־יְהוָה יִתֵּן חָכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃
7 and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;
וצפן יִצְפֹּן לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹֽם׃
8 that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.
לִנְצֹר אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חסידו חֲסִידָיו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.
אָז תָּבִין צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים כָּל־מַעְגַּל־טֽוֹב׃
10 For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,
כִּֽי־תָבוֹא חָכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָֽם׃
11 good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;
מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃
12 to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.
לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
13 Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;
הַעֹזְבִים אָרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
14 who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;
הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָֽע׃
15 whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;
אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃
16 to remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,
לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃
17 [of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.
הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃
18 For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.
כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל־מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃
19 None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.
כָּל־בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן וְלֹֽא־יַשִּׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּֽים׃
20 For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.
לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃
21 For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.
כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָֽהּ׃
22 The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.
וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

< Proverbs 2 >