< Proverbs 24 >

1 Be thou not envious of bad men, and do not long to be with them.
אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לִהְי֥וֹת אִתָּֽם׃
2 For their heart meditateth destruction, and of mischief do their lips speak.
כִּי־שֹׁ֭ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃
3 Through wisdom is a house built; and through understanding is it firmly established;
בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכּוֹנָֽן׃
4 And through knowledge are chambers filled with all manner of precious and pleasant wealth.
וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־ה֖וֹן יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃
5 A wise man is [always] in power; and a man of knowledge fortifieth [his] strength.
גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּע֑וֹז וְאִֽישׁ־דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃
6 For by wise counsel canst thou conduct thy war; and there is help in a multitude of counsellors.
כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יוֹעֵֽץ׃
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: in the gate can he not open his mouth.
רָאמ֣וֹת לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל חָכְמ֑וֹת בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ׃
8 Him that deviseth to do evil, men call a master of wicked devices.
מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ ל֝֗וֹ בַּֽעַל־מְזִמּ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽאוּ׃
9 The counsel of folly is sin; and an abomination to men is the scorner.
זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃
10 If thou despond on the day of distress, thy strength is small.
הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃
11 Deliver those that are taken unto death, and those that are moved away to the slaughter hold back.
הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־תַּחְשֽׂוֹךְ׃
12 If thou shouldst say, Behold, we know not this man: lo, he that weigheth hearts will truly regard it, and he that keepeth thy soul will surely know it; and he will give a recompense to man according to his doing.
כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבּ֨וֹת ׀ הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃
13 Eat honey, my son, because it is good; and the fine honey, which is sweet to thy palate:
אֱכָל־בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־ט֑וֹב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝ת֗וֹק עַל־חִכֶּֽךָ׃
14 So obtain the knowledge of wisdom for thy soul: when thou hast found her, then shall there be a [happy] future, and thy hope shall not be cut off.
כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חָכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ פ
15 Lie not in wait, O wicked man! against the dwelling of the righteous; waste not his resting-place;
אַל־תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצוֹ׃
16 For though the righteous were to fall seven times, he will rise up again; but the wicked shall stumble into misfortune.
כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפּ֣וֹל צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃
17 At the fall of thy enemy do not rejoice; and at his stumbling let not thy heart be glad:
בִּנְפֹ֣ל אֽ֭וֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃
18 Lest the Lord see it and it be displeasing in his eyes, and he turn away from him his wrath.
פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ׃
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers, neither be thou envious of the wicked;
אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים׃
20 For there will be no [happy] future for the bad man: the lamp of the wicked will be quenched.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃
21 My son, fear the Lord and the king: with those that are desirous to change do not mingle thyself;
יְרָֽא־אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־שׁ֝וֹנִ֗ים אַל־תִּתְעָרָֽב׃
22 For suddenly will their calamity arise; and who knoweth the ruin of both of them!
כִּֽי־פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יוֹדֵֽעַ׃ ס
23 These things also are for the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
גַּם־אֵ֥לֶּה לַֽחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־טֽוֹב׃
24 Him that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, will the people denounce, him will nations hold accursed;
אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֪יק אָ֥תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃
25 But to those that punish delight shall be given, and upon them shall come the blessing of the good.
וְלַמּוֹכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַֽ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּב֥וֹא בִרְכַּת־טֽוֹב׃
26 Men will kiss the lips of him that giveth a proper answer.
שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃
27 Prepare without thy work, and make it fit in the field for thyself: and afterward build thy house.
הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פ
28 Be not without cause a witness against thy neighbor; for wouldst thou beguile with thy lips?
אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃
29 Say not, As he hath done to me so will I do to him: I will recompense every man according to his doing.
אַל־תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לּ֑וֹ אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפָעֳלֽוֹ׃
30 By the field of a slothful man I once passed along, and by the vineyard of a man void of sense:
עַל־שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, nettles had covered its surface, and its stone-wall was broken down.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלּ֨וֹ ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃
32 And when I had indeed beheld [this] I took it to my heart: I saw it, and received a warning.
וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃
33 “A little [more] sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands in lying down;”
מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נוֹת מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמ֑וֹת מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃
34 But then will thy poverty come like a rover; and thy wants as a man armed with a shield.
וּבָֽא־מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

< Proverbs 24 >