מִשְׁלֵי 3
| בני תורתי אל-תשכח ומצותי יצר לבך | 1 |
My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,
| כי ארך ימים ושנות חיים-- ושלום יוסיפו לך | 2 |
because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you
| חסד ואמת אל-יעזבך קשרם על-גרגרותיך כתבם על-לוח לבך | 3 |
Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.
| ומצא-חן ושכל-טוב-- בעיני אלהים ואדם | 4 |
If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].
| בטח אל-יהוה בכל-לבך ואל-בינתך אל-תשען | 5 |
Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.
| בכל-דרכיך דעהו והוא יישר ארחתיך | 6 |
Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).
| אל-תהי חכם בעיניך ירא את-יהוה וסור מרע | 7 |
Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.
| רפאות תהי לשרך ושקוי לעצמותיך | 8 |
If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.
| כבד את-יהוה מהונך ומראשית כל-תבואתך | 9 |
Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.
| וימלאו אסמיך שבע ותירוש יקביך יפרצו | 10 |
If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.
| מוסר יהוה בני אל-תמאס ואל-תקץ בתוכחתו | 11 |
My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.
| כי את אשר יאהב יהוה יוכיח וכאב את-בן ירצה | 12 |
[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.
| אשרי אדם מצא חכמה ואדם יפיק תבונה | 13 |
[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.
| כי טוב סחרה מסחר-כסף ומחרוץ תבואתה | 14 |
Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.
| יקרה היא מפניים (מפנינים) וכל-חפציך לא ישוו-בה | 15 |
Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.
| ארך ימים בימינה בשמאולה עשר וכבוד | 16 |
On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.
| דרכיה דרכי-נעם וכל-נתיבותיה שלום | 17 |
If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].
| עץ-חיים היא למחזיקים בה ותמכיה מאשר | 18 |
Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.
| יהוה--בחכמה יסד-ארץ כונן שמים בתבונה | 19 |
By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.
| בדעתו תהומות נבקעו ושחקים ירעפו-טל | 20 |
By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.
| בני אל-ילזו מעיניך נצר תשיה ומזמה | 21 |
My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,
| ויהיו חיים לנפשך וחן לגרגרתיך | 22 |
you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.
| אז תלך לבטח דרכך ורגלך לא תגוף | 23 |
If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].
| אם-תשכב לא-תפחד ושכבת וערבה שנתך | 24 |
You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.
| אל-תירא מפחד פתאם ומשאת רשעים כי תבא | 25 |
You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,
| כי-יהוה יהיה בכסלך ושמר רגלך מלכד | 26 |
because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.
| אל-תמנע-טוב מבעליו-- בהיות לאל ידיך (ידך) לעשות | 27 |
If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.
| אל-תאמר לרעיך (לרעך) לך ושוב--ומחר אתן ויש אתך | 28 |
If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”
| אל-תחרש על-רעך רעה והוא-יושב לבטח אתך | 29 |
Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.
| אל-תרוב (תריב) עם-אדם חנם-- אם-לא גמלך רעה | 30 |
If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].
| אל-תקנא באיש חמס ואל-תבחר בכל-דרכיו | 31 |
Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.
| כי תועבת יהוה נלוז ואת-ישרים סודו | 32 |
[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.
| מארת יהוה בבית רשע ונוה צדיקים יברך | 33 |
Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.
| אם-ללצים הוא-יליץ ולעניים (ולענוים) יתן-חן | 34 |
Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.
| כבוד חכמים ינחלו וכסילים מרים קלון | 35 |
Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.
