< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if you accept what I say and value my instructions,
בְּ֭נִי אִם־תִּקַּ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃
2 if you pay attention to wisdom and really try to understand;
לְהַקְשִׁ֣יב לַֽחָכְמָ֣ה אָזְנֶ֑ךָ תַּטֶּ֥ה לִ֝בְּךָ֗ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃
3 if you cry out for insight and call loudly for help in understanding;
כִּ֤י אִ֣ם לַבִּינָ֣ה תִקְרָ֑א לַ֝תְּבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃
4 if you look for it as if it were silver and search for it as if it were hidden treasure;
אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁ֥נָּה כַכָּ֑סֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִ֥ים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃
5 then you will understand how to relate to the Lord and discover the truth about God.
אָ֗ז תָּ֭בִין יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת אֱלֹהִ֣ים תִּמְצָֽא׃
6 The Lord is the source of wisdom; what he says provides knowledge that makes sense.
כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יִתֵּ֣ן חָכְמָ֑ה מִ֝פִּ֗יו דַּ֣עַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃
7 He gives good judgment to those who live right; he defends those who have good sense.
וצפן לַ֭יְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּ֑ה מָ֝גֵ֗ן לְהֹ֣לְכֵי תֹֽם׃
8 He supports those who act fairly and protects those who trust in him.
לִ֭נְצֹר אָרְח֣וֹת מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְדֶ֖רֶךְ חסידו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃
9 Then you will be able to recognize what is right and just and fair, in fact all that is good in the way you should live.
אָ֗ז תָּ֭בִין צֶ֣דֶק וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּ֝מֵישָׁרִ֗ים כָּל־מַעְגַּל־ טֽוֹב׃
10 For wisdom will fill your mind, and knowledge will make you happy.
כִּֽי־תָב֣וֹא חָכְמָ֣ה בְלִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝דַ֗עַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ֥ יִנְעָֽם׃
11 Good decisions will keep you on track; thinking logically will keep you safe.
מְ֭זִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹ֥ר עָלֶ֗יךָ תְּבוּנָ֥ה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃
12 Doing this will save you from the ways of evil, from men who tell twisted lies,
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ רָ֑ע מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ מְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃
13 who turn away from following what is right to walk down paths of darkness.
הַ֭עֹ֣זְבִים אָרְח֣וֹת יֹ֑שֶׁר לָ֝לֶ֗כֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
14 They happily do wrong; they love how twisted evil is.
הַ֭שְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת רָ֑ע יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכ֥וֹת רָֽע׃
15 They live crooked lives doing deceitful things.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם עִקְּשִׁ֑ים וּ֝נְלוֹזִ֗ים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃
16 Doing this will also save you from a woman who acts immorally, from a woman who like a prostitute tries to seduce you with flattering words.
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃
17 Such a woman has left her husband she married when she was young, forgetting the promises she made before God.
הַ֭עֹזֶבֶת אַלּ֣וּף נְעוּרֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִ֖ית אֱלֹהֶ֣יהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃
18 What happens in her house leads to death; following her way leads to the grave.
כִּ֤י שָׁ֣חָה אֶל־מָ֣וֶת בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְאֶל־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃
19 No one who goes to her comes back; they don't ever find the way back to life again.
כָּל־בָּ֭אֶיהָ לֹ֣א יְשׁוּב֑וּן וְלֹֽא־יַ֝שִּׂ֗יגוּ אָרְח֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
20 So you should follow the way of the good, and make sure you stay on the paths of those who do right.
לְמַ֗עַן תֵּ֭לֵךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ טוֹבִ֑ים וְאָרְח֖וֹת צַדִּיקִ֣ים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃
21 For only people who live right will live in the land; only honest people will remain there.
כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִ֥ים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָ֑רֶץ וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים יִוָּ֥תְרוּ בָֽהּ׃
22 But the wicked will be thrown out of the land; those who are untrustworthy will be pulled out by the roots.
וּ֭רְשָׁעִים מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יִכָּרֵ֑תוּ וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים יִסְּח֥וּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ פ

< Proverbs 2 >