Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
| שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃ |
2 for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.
| כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ |
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
| כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃ |
4 He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
| וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃ |
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.
| קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃ |
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
| אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃ |
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
| רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃ |
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.
| סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרֹומְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃ |
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."
| תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃ |
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
| שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנֹ֣ות חַיִּֽים׃ |
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
| בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ |
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
| בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃ |
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
| הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ |
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.
| בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃ |
15 Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
| פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בֹּ֑ו שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֹֽור׃ |
16 For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
| כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א יִכְשֹׁולוּ (יַכְשִֽׁילוּ)׃ |
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
| כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ |
18 But the path of the righteous is like a shining light, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
| וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּאֹ֣ור נֹ֑גַהּ הֹולֵ֥ךְ וָ֝אֹ֗ור עַד־נְכֹ֥ון הַיֹּֽום׃ |
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.
| דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פ |
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
| בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ |
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
| אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣וךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ |
22 For they are life to him who finds them, and health to all of his body.
| כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרֹ֥ו מַרְפֵּֽא׃ |
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
| מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תֹּוצְאֹ֥ות חַיִּֽים׃ |
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
| הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ |
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
| עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ |
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
| פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃ |
27 Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
| אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃ |
