Holy Bible Aionian Edition® ~ English---Trans-Trans ~ Proverbs Chapter 4

< Proverbs 4 >

1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.

שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃

2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.

כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,

כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃

4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].

וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃

5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.

קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

6 Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.

אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

7 The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.

רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃

8 If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.

סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרֹומְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

9 If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].

תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.

שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנֹ֣ות חַיִּֽים׃

11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].

בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].

בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃

13 Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.

הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

14 Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].

בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃

15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;

פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בֹּ֑ו שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֹֽור׃

16 because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.

כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א יִכְשֹׁולוּ (יַכְשִֽׁילוּ)׃

17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”

כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

18 The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.

וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּאֹ֣ור נֹ֑גַהּ הֹולֵ֥ךְ וָ֝אֹ֗ור עַד־נְכֹ֥ון הַיֹּֽום׃

19 [But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.

דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פ

20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.

בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,

אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣וךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

22 because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.

כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרֹ֥ו מַרְפֵּֽא׃

23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.

מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תֹּוצְאֹ֥ות חַיִּֽים׃

24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.

הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.