מִשְׁלֵי 23

1 כי-תשב ללחום את-מושל-- בין תבין את-אשר לפניך

When you take your seat at the feast with a ruler, give thought with care to what is before you;

2 ושמת שכין בלעך-- אם-בעל נפש אתה

And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.

3 אל-תתאו למטעמותיו והוא לחם כזבים

Have no desire for his delicate food, for it is the bread of deceit.

4 אל-תיגע להעשיר מבינתך חדל

Take no care to get wealth; let there be an end to your desire for money.

5 התעוף (התעיף) עיניך בו ואיננו כי עשה יעשה-לו כנפים כנשר ועיף (יעוף) השמים

Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.

6 אל-תלחם--את-לחם רע עין ואל-תתאו למטעמתיו

Do not take the food of him who has an evil eye, or have any desire for his delicate meat:

7 כי כמו שער בנפשו-- כן-הוא אכול ושתה יאמר לך ולבו בל-עמך

For as the thoughts of his heart are, so is he: Take food and drink, he says to you; but his heart is not with you.

8 פתך-אכלת תקיאנה ושחת דבריך הנעימים

The food which you have taken will come up again, and your pleasing words will be wasted.

9 באזני כסיל אל-תדבר כי-יבוז לשכל מליך

Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.

10 אל-תסג גבול עולם ובשדי יתומים אל-תבא

Do not let the landmark of the widow be moved, and do not go into the fields of those who have no father;

11 כי-גאלם חזק הוא-יריב את-ריבם אתך

For their saviour is strong, and he will take up their cause against you.

12 הביאה למוסר לבך ואזנך לאמרי-דעת

Give your heart to teaching, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

13 אל-תמנע מנער מוסר כי-תכנו בשבט לא ימות

Do not keep back training from the child: for even if you give him blows with the rod, it will not be death to him.

14 אתה בשבט תכנו ונפשו משאול תציל (Sheol h7585)

Give him blows with the rod, and keep his soul safe from the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

15 בני אם-חכם לבך-- ישמח לבי גם-אני

My son, if your heart becomes wise, I, even I, will be glad in heart;

16 ותעלזנה כליותי-- בדבר שפתיך מישרים

And my thoughts in me will be full of joy when your lips say right things.

17 אל-יקנא לבך בחטאים כי אם-ביראת-יהוה כל-היום

Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;

18 כי אם-יש אחרית ותקותך לא תכרת

For without doubt there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

19 שמע-אתה בני וחכם ואשר בדרך לבך

Give ear, my son, and be wise, guiding your heart in the right way.

20 אל-תהי בסבאי-יין-- בזללי בשר למו

Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat:

21 כי-סבא וזולל יורש וקרעים תלביש נומה

For those who take delight in drink and feasting will come to be in need; and through love of sleep a man will be poorly clothed.

22 שמע לאביך זה ילדך ואל-תבוז כי-זקנה אמך

Give ear to your father whose child you are, and do not keep honour from your mother when she is old.

23 אמת קנה ואל-תמכר חכמה ומוסר ובינה

Get for yourself that which is true, and do not let it go for money; get wisdom and teaching and good sense.

24 גול (גיל) יגיל אבי צדיק יולד (ויולד) חכם וישמח- (ישמח-) בו

The father of the upright man will be glad, and he who has a wise child will have joy because of him.

25 ישמח-אביך ואמך ותגל יולדתך

Let your father and your mother be glad, let her who gave you birth have joy.

26 תנה-בני לבך לי ועיניך דרכי תרצנה (תצרנה)

My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes take delight in my ways.

27 כי-שוחה עמקה זונה ובאר צרה נכריה

For a loose woman is a deep hollow, and a strange woman is a narrow water-hole.

28 אף-היא כחתף תארב ובוגדים באדם תוסף

Yes, she is waiting secretly like a beast for its food, and deceit by her is increased among men.

29 למי אוי למי אבוי למי מדונים (מדינים) למי שיח-- למי פצעים חנם למי חכללות עינים

Who says, Oh! who says, Ah! who has violent arguments, who has grief, who has wounds without cause, whose eyes are dark?

30 למאחרים על-היין-- לבאים לחקר ממסך

Those who are seated late over the wine: those who go looking for mixed wine.

31 אל-תרא יין כי יתאדם כי-יתן בכיס (בכוס) עינו יתהלך במישרים

Keep your eyes from looking on the wine when it is red, when its colour is bright in the cup, when it goes smoothly down:

32 אחריתו כנחש ישך וכצפעני יפרש

In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.

33 עיניך יראו זרות ולבך ידבר תהפכות

Your eyes will see strange things, and you will say twisted things.

34 והיית כשכב בלב-ים וכשכב בראש חבל

Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.

35 הכוני בל-חליתי-- הלמוני בל-ידעתי מתי אקיץ אוסיף אבקשנו עוד

They have overcome me, you will say, and I have no pain; they gave me blows without my feeling them: when will I be awake from my wine? I will go after it again.