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שמעו בנים מוסר אב והקשיבו לדעת בינה 1
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל-תעזבו 2
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
כי-בן הייתי לאבי רך ויחיד לפני אמי 3
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
וירני--ויאמר לי יתמך-דברי לבך שמר מצותי וחיה 4
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
קנה חכמה קנה בינה אל-תשכח ואל-תט מאמרי-פי 5
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
אל-תעזבה ותשמרך אהבה ותצרך 6
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
ראשית חכמה קנה חכמה ובכל-קנינך קנה בינה 7
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
סלסלה ותרוממך תכבדך כי תחבקנה 8
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
תתן לראשך לוית-חן עטרת תפארת תמגנך 9
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
שמע בני וקח אמרי וירבו לך שנות חיים 10
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
בדרך חכמה הריתיך הדרכתיך במעגלי-ישר 11
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
בלכתך לא-יצר צעדך ואם-תרוץ לא תכשל 12
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
החזק במוסר אל-תרף נצרה כי-היא חייך 13
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
בארח רשעים אל-תבא ואל-תאשר בדרך רעים 14
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
פרעהו אל-תעבר-בו שטה מעליו ועבר 15
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
כי לא ישנו אם-לא ירעו ונגזלה שנתם אם-לא יכשולו (יכשילו) 16
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
כי לחמו לחם רשע ויין חמסים ישתו 17
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
וארח צדיקים כאור נגה הולך ואור עד-נכון היום 18
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
דרך רשעים כאפלה לא ידעו במה יכשלו 19
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
בני לדברי הקשיבה לאמרי הט-אזנך 20
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
אל-יליזו מעיניך שמרם בתוך לבבך 21
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
כי-חיים הם למצאיהם ולכל-בשרו מרפא 22
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
מכל-משמר נצר לבך כי-ממנו תוצאות חיים 23
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
הסר ממך עקשות פה ולזות שפתים הרחק ממך 24
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
עיניך לנכח יביטו ועפעפיך יישרו נגדך 25
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
פלס מעגל רגלך וכל-דרכיך יכנו 26
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
אל-תט-ימין ושמאול הסר רגלך מרע 27
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.

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