< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,
בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֺתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּֽךְ׃
2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;
לְהַקְשִׁיב לַֽחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃
3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃
4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:
אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃
5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.
אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָֽא׃
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.
כִּֽי־יְהוָה יִתֵּן חָכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
וצפן יִצְפֹּן לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹֽם׃
8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.
לִנְצֹר אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חסידו חֲסִידָיו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.
אָז תָּבִין צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים כָּל־מַעְגַּל־טֽוֹב׃
10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
כִּֽי־תָבוֹא חָכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָֽם׃
11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:
מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
13 [from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
הַעֹזְבִים אָרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
14 who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;
הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָֽע׃
15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:
אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;
לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃
17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;
הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃
18 — for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;
כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל־מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃
19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
כָּל־בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן וְלֹֽא־יַשִּׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּֽים׃
20 — that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.
לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;
כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָֽהּ׃
22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.
וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

< Proverbs 2 >