מִשְׁלֵי 6
| בני אם-ערבת לרעך תקעת לזר כפיך | 1 |
[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.
| נוקשת באמרי-פיך נלכדת באמרי-פיך | 2 |
For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.
| עשה זאת אפוא בני והנצל-- כי באת בכף-רעך לך התרפס ורהב רעיך | 3 |
[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.
| אל-תתן שנה לעיניך ותנומה לעפעפיך | 4 |
Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;
| הנצל כצבי מיד וכצפור מיד יקוש | 5 |
that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
| לך-אל-נמלה עצל ראה דרכיה וחכם | 6 |
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.
| אשר אין-לה קצין-- שטר ומשל | 7 |
For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,
| תכין בקיץ לחמה אגרה בקציר מאכלה | 8 |
he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.
| עד-מתי עצל תשכב מתי תקום משנתך | 9 |
How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?
| מעט שנות מעט תנומות מעט חבק ידים לשכב | 10 |
You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.
| ובא-כמהלך ראשך ומחסרך כאיש מגן | 11 |
Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.
| אדם בליעל איש און הולך עקשות פה | 12 |
A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.
| קרץ בעינו מלל ברגלו מרה באצבעתיו | 13 |
And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.
| תהפכות בלבו--חרש רע בכל-עת מדנים (מדינים) ישלח | 14 |
[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.
| על-כן--פתאם יבוא אידו פתע ישבר ואין מרפא | 15 |
Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.
| שש-הנה שנא יהוה ושבע תועבות (תועבת) נפשו | 16 |
For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.
| עינים רמות לשון שקר וידים שפכות דם-נקי | 17 |
The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;
| לב--חרש מחשבות און רגלים ממהרות לרוץ לרעה | 18 |
and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].
| יפיח כזבים עד שקר ומשלח מדנים בין אחים | 19 |
An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.
| נצר בני מצות אביך ואל-תטש תורת אמך | 20 |
[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:
| קשרם על-לבך תמיד ענדם על-גרגרתך | 21 |
but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.
| בהתהלכך תנחה אתך-- בשכבך תשמר עליך והקיצות היא תשיחך | 22 |
Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.
| כי נר מצוה ותורה אור ודרך חיים תוכחות מוסר | 23 |
For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:
| לשמרך מאשת רע מחלקת לשון נכריה | 24 |
to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.
| אל-תחמד יפיה בלבבך ואל-תקחך בעפעפיה | 25 |
Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.
| כי בעד-אשה זונה עד-ככר-לחם ואשת איש-- נפש יקרה תצוד | 26 |
For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.
| היחתה איש אש בחיקו ובגדיו לא תשרפנה | 27 |
Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?
| אם-יהלך איש על-הגחלים ורגליו לא תכוינה | 28 |
or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?
| כן--הבא אל-אשת רעהו לא-ינקה כל-הנגע בה | 29 |
So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.
| לא-יבוזו לגנב כי יגנוב-- למלא נפשו כי ירעב | 30 |
It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:
| ונמצא ישלם שבעתים את-כל-הון ביתו יתן | 31 |
but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.
| נאף אשה חסר-לב משחית נפשו הוא יעשנה | 32 |
But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.
| נגע-וקלון ימצא וחרפתו לא תמחה | 33 |
He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.
| כי-קנאה חמת-גבר ולא-יחמול ביום נקם | 34 |
For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
| לא-ישא פני כל-כפר ולא-יאבה כי תרבה-שחד | 35 |
He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.
