Proverbs 23
1 When you sit down for a meal with a ruler, look carefully at what is placed before you,
| כִּֽי־תֵשֵׁב לִלְחוֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁל בִּין תָּבִין אֶת־אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ |
2 and cut down if you have a big appetite.
| וְשַׂמְתָּ שַׂכִּין בְּלֹעֶךָ אִם־בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃ |
3 Don't be greedy for his fancy food, for it's offered with deceptive motives.
| אַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו וְהוּא לֶחֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃ |
4 Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich—be wise enough not to bother!
| אַל־תִּיגַע לְֽהַעֲשִׁיר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָֽל׃ |
5 It disappears in the blink of an eye, suddenly growing wings and flying off into the sky like an eagle.
| (התעוף) [הֲתָעִיף] עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְֽאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר (ועיף) [יָעוּף] הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ |
6 Don't accept meal invitations from miserly people; don't be greedy for their fancy food,
| אַל־תִּלְחַם אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן וְאַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃ |
7 for what they're thinking inside is what they really are. They say, “Come on, eat and drink!”—but in their minds they don't really care about you.
| כִּי ׀ כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כֶּן־הוּא אֱכוֹל וּשְׁתֵה יֹאמַר לָךְ וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃ |
8 You'll vomit up the little pieces you've eaten, and your kind words of appreciation will be wasted.
| פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּ תְקִיאֶנָּה וְשִׁחַתָּ דְּבָרֶיךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃ |
9 Don't talk to stupid people because they'll ridicule your wise words.
| בְּאׇזְנֵי כְסִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּר כִּֽי־יָבוּז לְשֵׂכֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃ |
10 Don't move ancient boundary markers, and don't encroach on fields belonging to orphans,
| אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם וּבִשְׂדֵי יְתוֹמִים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃ |
11 for their Protector is powerful and he will plead their case against you.
| כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָם חָזָק הֽוּא־יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם אִתָּֽךְ׃ |
12 Focus your mind on instruction; listen intently to words of knowledge.
| הָבִיאָה לַמּוּסָר לִבֶּךָ וְאׇזְנֶךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃ |
13 Don't keep from disciplining your children—a beating won't kill them.
| אַל־תִּמְנַע מִנַּעַר מוּסָר כִּֽי־תַכֶּנּוּ בַשֵּׁבֶט לֹא יָמֽוּת׃ |
| אַתָּה בַּשֵּׁבֶט תַּכֶּנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃ (Sheol h7585) |
15 My son, if you think wisely then I'll be happy;
| בְּנִי אִם־חָכַם לִבֶּךָ יִשְׂמַח לִבִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃ |
16 I'll be delighted when you say what's right.
| וְתַעְלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתָי בְּדַבֵּר שְׂפָתֶיךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ |
17 Don't think enviously of sinners, but always remember to honor the Lord,
| אַל־יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְהֹוָה כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ |
18 for there's definitely a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.
| כִּי אִם־יֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵֽת׃ |
19 Pay attention, my son, and be wise; make sure your mind concentrates on following the right way.
| שְׁמַע־אַתָּה בְנִי וַחֲכָם וְאַשֵּׁר בַּדֶּרֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃ |
20 Don't join in with people who drink too much wine or who stuff themselves with meat.
| אַל־תְּהִי בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָיִן בְּזֹלְלֵי בָשָׂר לָֽמוֹ׃ |
21 For people who get drunk and overeat lose all they've got, and they spend so much time dozing that all they have left to wear is rags.
| כִּֽי־סֹבֵא וְזוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵשׁ וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָֽה׃ |
22 Pay attention to your father, and don't disregard your mother when she's old.
| שְׁמַע לְאָבִיךָ זֶה יְלָדֶךָ וְאַל־תָּבוּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָה אִמֶּֽךָ׃ |
23 Invest in truth—and don't sell it! Invest in wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
| אֱמֶת קְנֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּר חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָֽה׃ |
24 Children who do right make their fathers very happy; a wise son brings joy to his father.
| (גול) [גִּיל] יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק (יולד) [וְיוֹלֵד] חָכָם (וישמח) [יִשְׂמַח־]בּֽוֹ׃ |
25 Make your father and mother happy; bring joy to her who gave birth to you.
| יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃ |
26 My son, give me your undivided attention, and cheerfully follow my example.
| תְּנָה־בְנִי לִבְּךָ לִי וְעֵינֶיךָ דְּרָכַי (תרצנה) [תִּצֹּֽרְנָה]׃ |
27 A prostitute is like being trapped in a pit; an immoral woman is like getting stuck a narrow well,
| כִּֽי־שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה זוֹנָה וּבְאֵר צָרָה נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃ |
28 Like a robber, she lies in wait ready to ambush men and make more of them unfaithful to their wives.
| אַף־הִיא כְּחֶתֶף תֶּאֱרֹב וּבוֹגְדִים בְּאָדָם תּוֹסִֽף׃ |
29 Who's in trouble? Who's in pain? Who's arguing? Who's complaining? Who's injured for no reason? Who's got bloodshot eyes?
| לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי לְמִי (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים ׀] לְמִי שִׂיחַ לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָֽיִם׃ |
30 —those who spend a long time drinking wine, those who are always trying some new cocktail.
| לַֽמְאַחֲרִים עַל־הַיָּיִן לַבָּאִים לַחְקֹר מִמְסָֽךְ׃ |
31 Don't let the look of wine tempt you—how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smooth it feels as it goes down.
| אַל־תֵּרֶא יַּיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם כִּֽי־יִתֵּן (בכיס) [בַּכּוֹס] עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵֽישָׁרִֽים׃ |
32 In the end it bites like a serpent, it stings like a snake.
| אַחֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָשׁ יִשָּׁךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִי יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ |
33 You'll hallucinate, seeing strange things, and your confused mind will make you say all kinds of craziness.
| עֵינֶיךָ יִרְאוּ זָרוֹת וְלִבְּךָ יְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ |
34 You'll stumble around like you're on the rolling ocean, you'll be tossed about like someone lying down at the top of a ship's mast, saying,
| וְהָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵב בְּלֶב־יָם וּכְשֹׁכֵב בְּרֹאשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃ |
35 “People punched me, but it didn't hurt me; they beat me, but I didn't feel a thing. I've got to get up because I need another drink.”
| הִכּוּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי הֲלָמוּנִי בַּל־יָדָעְתִּי מָתַי אָקִיץ אוֹסִיף אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עֽוֹד׃ |
