< Proverbs 24 >

1 Do not be envious of evil men, And do not desire to be with them.
אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּתְאָו (תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו) לִהְיֹ֥ות אִתָּֽם׃
2 For their heart meditates [on] destruction, And their lips speak perverseness.
כִּי־שֹׁ֖ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃
3 A house is built by wisdom, And it establishes itself by understanding.
בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכֹּונָֽן׃
4 And the inner parts are filled by knowledge, [With] all precious and pleasant wealth.
וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־הֹ֖ון יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃
5 The wise [is] mighty in strength, And a man of knowledge is strengthening power,
גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּעֹ֑וז וְאִֽישׁ־דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃
6 For you make war for yourself by plans, And deliverance [is] in a multitude of counselors.
כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלֹות תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יֹועֵֽץ׃
7 Wisdom [is] high for a fool, he does not open his mouth in the gate.
רָאמֹ֣ות לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל חָכְמֹ֑ות בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ׃
8 Whoever is devising to do evil, They call him a master of wicked thoughts.
מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ לֹ֝֗ו בַּֽעַל־מְזִמֹּ֥ות יִקְרָֽאוּ׃
9 The thought of folly [is] sin, And a scorner [is] an abomination to man.
זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתֹועֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃
10 You have showed yourself weak in a day of adversity, Your power is restricted,
הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּיֹ֥ום צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃
11 If [from] delivering those taken to death, And you take back those slipping to the slaughter.
הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־תַּחְשֹֽׂוךְ׃
12 When you say, “Behold, we did not know this.” Is the Ponderer of hearts not He who understands? And the Keeper of your soul He who knows? And He has rendered to man according to his work.
כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲ‍ֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבֹּ֨ות ׀ הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃
13 My son, eat honey that [is] good, And the honeycomb [is] sweet to your palate.
אֱכָל־בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־טֹ֑וב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝תֹ֗וק עַל־חִכֶּֽךָ׃
14 So [is] the knowledge of wisdom to your soul, If you have found that there is a posterity And your hope is not cut off.
כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חָכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ פ
15 Do not lay wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting place.
אַל־תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצֹֽו׃
16 For the righteous fall and rise seven [times], And the wicked stumble in evil.
כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפֹּ֣ול צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃
17 Do not rejoice in the falling of your enemy, And do not let your heart be joyful in his stumbling,
בִּנְפֹ֣ל אֹויְבֶיךָ (אֹֽ֭ויִבְךָ) אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁלֹ֗ו אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃
18 Lest YHWH see, and [it be] evil in His eyes, And He has turned His anger from off him.
פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפֹּֽו׃
19 Do not fret yourself at evildoers, do not be envious at the wicked,
אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים׃
20 For there is not a posterity to the evil, The lamp of the wicked is extinguished.
כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃
21 Fear YHWH, my son, and the king, Do not mix yourself up with changers,
יְרָֽא־אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־שֹׁ֝ונִ֗ים אַל־תִּתְעָרָֽב׃
22 For their calamity rises suddenly, And the ruin of them both—who knows!
כִּֽי־פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יֹודֵֽעַ׃ ס
23 These are also for the wise: [It] is not good to discern faces in judgment.
גַּם־אֵ֥לֶּה לַֽחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־טֹֽוב׃
24 Whoever is saying to the wicked, “You [are] righteous,” Peoples execrate him—nations abhor him.
אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֪יק אָ֥תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃
25 And it is pleasant to those reproving, And a good blessing comes on them.
וְלַמֹּוכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַֽ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּבֹ֥וא בִרְכַּת־טֹֽוב׃
26 He who is returning straightforward words kisses lips.
שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃
27 Prepare your work in an out-place, And make it ready in the field—go afterward, Then you have built your house.
הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פ
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor for nothing, Or you have enticed with your lips.
אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃
29 Do not say, “As he did to me, so I do to him, I render to each according to his work.”
אַל־תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לֹּ֑ו אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃
30 I passed by near the field of a slothful man, And near the vineyard of a man lacking heart.
עַל־שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃
31 And behold, it has gone up—all of it—thorns! Nettles have covered its face, And its stone wall has been broken down.
וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלֹּ֨ו ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃
32 And I see—I set my heart, I have seen—I have received instruction,
וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃
33 A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.
מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נֹות מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמֹ֑ות מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃
34 And your poverty has come [as] a traveler, And your want as an armed man!
וּבָֽא־מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

< Proverbs 24 >