מִשְׁלֵי 23
| כי-תשב ללחום את-מושל-- בין תבין את-אשר לפניך | 1 |
When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.
| ושמת שכין בלעך-- אם-בעל נפש אתה | 2 |
[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.
| אל-תתאו למטעמותיו והוא לחם כזבים | 3 |
Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.
| אל-תיגע להעשיר מבינתך חדל | 4 |
Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,
| התעוף (התעיף) עיניך בו ואיננו כי עשה יעשה-לו כנפים כנשר ועיף (יעוף) השמים | 5 |
because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.
| אל-תלחם--את-לחם רע עין ואל-תתאו למטעמתיו | 6 |
[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,
| כי כמו שער בנפשו-- כן-הוא אכול ושתה יאמר לך ולבו בל-עמך | 7 |
because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.
| פתך-אכלת תקיאנה ושחת דבריך הנעימים | 8 |
[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.
| באזני כסיל אל-תדבר כי-יבוז לשכל מליך | 9 |
(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.
| אל-תסג גבול עולם ובשדי יתומים אל-תבא | 10 |
Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,
| כי-גאלם חזק הוא-יריב את-ריבם אתך | 11 |
because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.
| הביאה למוסר לבך ואזנך לאמרי-דעת | 12 |
Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.
| אל-תמנע מנער מוסר כי-תכנו בשבט לא ימות | 13 |
Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,
| אתה בשבט תכנו ונפשו משאול תציל (Sheol h7585) | 14 |
and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
| בני אם-חכם לבך-- ישמח לבי גם-אני | 15 |
My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.
| ותעלזנה כליותי-- בדבר שפתיך מישרים | 16 |
I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.
| אל-יקנא לבך בחטאים כי אם-ביראת-יהוה כל-היום | 17 |
Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.
| כי אם-יש אחרית ותקותך לא תכרת | 18 |
[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.
| שמע-אתה בני וחכם ואשר בדרך לבך | 19 |
My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).
| אל-תהי בסבאי-יין-- בזללי בשר למו | 20 |
Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),
| כי-סבא וזולל יורש וקרעים תלביש נומה | 21 |
because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).
| שמע לאביך זה ילדך ואל-תבוז כי-זקנה אמך | 22 |
Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.
| אמת קנה ואל-תמכר חכמה ומוסר ובינה | 23 |
Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.
| גול (גיל) יגיל אבי צדיק יולד (ויולד) חכם וישמח- (ישמח-) בו | 24 |
Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.
| ישמח-אביך ואמך ותגל יולדתך | 25 |
[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.
| תנה-בני לבך לי ועיניך דרכי תרצנה (תצרנה) | 26 |
My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.
| כי-שוחה עמקה זונה ובאר צרה נכריה | 27 |
Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].
| אף-היא כחתף תארב ובוגדים באדם תוסף | 28 |
They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.
| למי אוי למי אבוי למי מדונים (מדינים) למי שיח-- למי פצעים חנם למי חכללות עינים | 29 |
I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.
| למאחרים על-היין-- לבאים לחקר ממסך | 30 |
[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.
| אל-תרא יין כי יתאדם כי-יתן בכיס (בכוס) עינו יתהלך במישרים | 31 |
Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,
| אחריתו כנחש ישך וכצפעני יפרש | 32 |
because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].
| עיניך יראו זרות ולבך ידבר תהפכות | 33 |
You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.
| והיית כשכב בלב-ים וכשכב בראש חבל | 34 |
You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.
| הכוני בל-חליתי-- הלמוני בל-ידעתי מתי אקיץ אוסיף אבקשנו עוד | 35 |
You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”
