< מִשְׁלֵי 20 >
לץ היין המה שכר וכל-שגה בו לא יחכם | 1 |
Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
נהם ככפיר אימת מלך מתעברו חוטא נפשו | 2 |
The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself.
כבוד לאיש שבת מריב וכל-אויל יתגלע | 3 |
It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.
מחרף עצל לא-יחרש ישאל (ושאל) בקציר ואין | 4 |
The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing.
מים עמקים עצה בלב-איש ואיש תבונה ידלנה | 5 |
The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out.
רב-אדם--יקרא איש חסדו ואיש אמונים מי ימצא | 6 |
Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen?
מתהלך בתמו צדיק אשרי בניו אחריו | 7 |
An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him!
מלך יושב על-כסא-דין-- מזרה בעיניו כל-רע | 8 |
A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes.
מי-יאמר זכיתי לבי טהרתי מחטאתי | 9 |
Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin?
אבן ואבן איפה ואיפה-- תועבת יהוה גם-שניהם | 10 |
Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord.
גם במעלליו יתנכר-נער-- אם-זך ואם-ישר פעלו | 11 |
Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right.
אזן שמעת ועין ראה-- יהוה עשה גם-שניהם | 12 |
The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work.
אל-תאהב שנה פן-תורש פקח עיניך שבע-לחם | 13 |
Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough.
רע רע יאמר הקונה ואזל לו אז יתהלל | 14 |
A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got.
יש זהב ורב-פנינים וכלי יקר שפתי-דעת | 15 |
There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price.
לקח-בגדו כי-ערב זר ובעד נכרים (נכריה) חבלהו | 16 |
Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
ערב לאיש לחם שקר ואחר ימלא-פיהו חצץ | 17 |
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand.
מחשבות בעצה תכון ובתחבלות עשה מלחמה | 18 |
Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war.
גולה-סוד הולך רכיל ולפתה שפתיו לא תתערב | 19 |
He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide.
מקלל אביו ואמו-- ידעך נרו באישון (באשון) חשך | 20 |
If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night.
נחלה מבחלת (מבהלת) בראשונה ואחריתה לא תברך | 21 |
A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing.
אל-תאמר אשלמה-רע קוה ליהוה וישע לך | 22 |
Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour.
תועבת יהוה אבן ואבן ומאזני מרמה לא-טוב | 23 |
Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good.
מיהוה מצעדי-גבר ואדם מה-יבין דרכו | 24 |
A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way?
מוקש אדם ילע קדש ואחר נדרים לבקר | 25 |
It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them.
מזרה רשעים מלך חכם וישב עליהם אופן | 26 |
A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them.
נר יהוה נשמת אדם חפש כל-חדרי-בטן | 27 |
The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body.
חסד ואמת יצרו-מלך וסעד בחסד כסאו | 28 |
Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts.
תפארת בחורים כחם והדר זקנים שיבה | 29 |
The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs.
חברות פצע תמריק (תמרוק) ברע ומכות חדרי-בטן | 30 |
By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body.