מִשְׁלֵי 30
| דברי אגור בן-יקה--המשא נאם הגבר לאיתיאל לאיתיאל ואכל | 1 |
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
| כי בער אנכי מאיש ולא-בינת אדם לי | 2 |
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
| ולא-למדתי חכמה ודעת קדשים אדע | 3 |
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
| מי עלה-שמים וירד מי אסף-רוח בחפניו מי צרר-מים בשמלה-- מי הקים כל-אפסי-ארץ מה-שמו ומה-שם-בנו כי תדע | 4 |
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
| כל-אמרת אלוה צרופה מגן הוא לחסים בו | 5 |
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
| אל-תוסף על-דבריו פן-יוכיח בך ונכזבת | 6 |
Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
| שתים שאלתי מאתך אל-תמנע ממני בטרם אמות | 7 |
I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
| שוא ודבר-כזב הרחק ממני-- ראש ועשר אל-תתן-לי הטריפני לחם חקי | 8 |
Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
| פן אשבע וכחשתי-- ואמרתי מי יהוה ופן-אורש וגנבתי ותפשתי שם אלהי | 9 |
For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
| אל-תלשן עבד אל-אדנו פן-יקללך ואשמת | 10 |
Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
| דור אביו יקלל ואת-אמו לא יברך | 11 |
There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
| דור טהור בעיניו ומצאתו לא רחץ | 12 |
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
| דור מה-רמו עיניו ועפעפיו ינשאו | 13 |
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
| דור חרבות שניו-- ומאכלות מתלעתיו לאכל עניים מארץ ואביונים מאדם | 14 |
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
| לעלוקה שתי בנות-- הב הב שלוש הנה לא תשבענה ארבע לא-אמרו הון | 15 |
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
| שאול ועצר-רחם ארץ לא-שבעה מים ואש לא-אמרה הון (Sheol h7585) | 16 |
The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
| עין תלעג לאב-- ותבז ליקהת-אם יקרוה ערבי-נחל ויאכלוה בני-נשר | 17 |
The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
| שלשה המה נפלאו ממני וארבע (וארבעה) לא ידעתים | 18 |
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
| דרך הנשר בשמים-- דרך נחש עלי-צור דרך-אניה בלב-ים-- ודרך גבר בעלמה | 19 |
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl.
| כן דרך אשה-- מנאפת אכלה ומחתה פיה ואמרה לא-פעלתי און | 20 |
This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
| תחת שלוש רגזה ארץ ותחת ארבע לא-תוכל שאת | 21 |
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
| תחת-עבד כי ימלוך ונבל כי ישבע-לחם | 22 |
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
| תחת שנואה כי תבעל ושפחה כי תירש גברתה | 23 |
A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
| ארבעה הם קטני-ארץ והמה חכמים מחכמים | 24 |
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
| הנמלים עם לא-עז ויכינו בקיץ לחמם | 25 |
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
| שפנים עם לא-עצום וישימו בסלע ביתם | 26 |
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
| מלך אין לארבה ויצא חצץ כלו | 27 |
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
| שממית בידים תתפש והיא בהיכלי מלך | 28 |
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
| שלשה המה מיטיבי צעד וארבעה מיטבי לכת | 29 |
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
| ליש גבור בבהמה ולא-ישוב מפני-כל | 30 |
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
| זרזיר מתנים או-תיש ומלך אלקום עמו | 31 |
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
| אם-נבלת בהתנשא ואם-זמות יד לפה | 32 |
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
| כי מיץ חלב יוציא חמאה-- ומיץ-אף יוציא דם ומיץ אפים יוציא ריב | 33 |
The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
