מִשְׁלֵי 7
| בני שמר אמרי ומצותי תצפן אתך | 1 |
My son, heed my advice, and guard my instructions [as you would] [MET] [guard] a treasure.
| שמר מצותי וחיה ותורתי כאישון עיניך | 2 |
Obey my commands, and [as a result you will] live [a good life]. Consider the things that I teach you [to be very precious]; guard them, [just] like you protect your eyes.
| קשרם על-אצבעתיך כתבם על-לוח לבך | 3 |
Tie my commands around your fingers [in order that they will remind you to obey them]. Always keep them in mind [MET].
| אמר לחכמה אחתי את ומדע לבינה תקרא | 4 |
[Love] wisdom [like you love] your sister. Understand what is wise, [and let that be as dear to you as] members of your family.
| לשמרך מאשה זרה מנכריה אמריה החליקה | 5 |
If you are wise and if you understand what is wise [PRS], you will not [sleep with] an immoral woman; you will not listen to a woman who tries to entice you [to sleep with her] by what she says.
| כי בחלון ביתי-- בעד אשנבי נשקפתי | 6 |
One day, I was standing at the window inside my house, and I looked outside.
| וארא בפתאים אבינה בבנים-- נער חסר-לב | 7 |
I saw some young men who did not have good sense. Among them was a man who was very foolish.
| עבר בשוק אצל פנה ודרך ביתה יצעד | 8 |
He crossed the street near [the house of] an immoral woman. He was walking along the path toward her house
| בנשף-בערב יום באישון לילה ואפלה | 9 |
at twilight, when it was getting dark [DOU].
| והנה אשה לקראתו שית זונה ונצרת לב | 10 |
Suddenly the woman came out to see/meet him. She was dressed (seductively/like a prostitute), wanting to persuade him to sleep with her.
| המיה היא וסררת בביתה לא-ישכנו רגליה | 11 |
She was a loud talker, one who was rebellious; she [SYN] never stayed at home.
| פעם בחוץ--פעם ברחבות ואצל כל-פנה תארב | 12 |
She often went into the city streets and plazas/markets, waiting to trap some man.
| והחזיקה בו ונשקה לו העזה פניה ותאמר לו | 13 |
[When she saw that young man], she put her arms around him and kissed him. Then without being a bit ashamed, she said,
| זבחי שלמים עלי היום שלמתי נדרי | 14 |
“I have [some meat that is left over from] a sacrifice that I made today [to maintain fellowship with Yahweh]; I have fulfilled/done what I promised him that I would do.
| על-כן יצאתי לקראתך לשחר פניך ואמצאך | 15 |
And now I have come out to meet/see you. I was searching for you, and [now] I have found you!
| מרבדים רבדתי ערשי חטבות אטון מצרים | 16 |
I have put on my bed sheets/bedspreads that were made from [very fine] linen [that were imported] {[people brought]} from Egypt.
| נפתי משכבי-- מר אהלים וקנמון | 17 |
I have sprinkled [sweet-smelling] perfumes on my bed— myrrh and aloes and cinnamon.
| לכה נרוה דדים עד-הבקר נתעלסה באהבים | 18 |
Come [with me]; let us enjoy having sex until [tomorrow] morning. Let’s enjoy making love.
| כי אין האיש בביתו הלך בדרך מרחוק | 19 |
My husband is not at home; he has gone away on a long journey.
| צרור-הכסף לקח בידו ליום הכסא יבא ביתו | 20 |
He is carrying a wallet filled with money, and he will not return until the middle of this month.”
| הטתו ברב לקחה בחלק שפתיה תדיחנו | 21 |
[So] she persuaded him by [her] enticing/tempting words. She allured him by her smooth/sweet talk.
| הולך אחריה פתאם כשור אל-טבח יבא וכעכס אל-מוסר אויל | 22 |
[And] he went with her immediately, like an ox that was going to where it would be slaughtered, or like a deer (OR, a fool) that is stepping into a noose/trap,
| עד יפלח חץ כבדו-- כמהר צפור אל-פח ולא-ידע כי-בנפשו הוא | 23 |
where it will remain/stay until someone shoots an arrow into its liver [and kills it]. [He was] like a bird that flew into a trap. He did not know that (it would cost him his life/he would die as a result).
| ועתה בנים שמעו-לי והקשיבו לאמרי-פי | 24 |
My son, listen to what I say; pay [careful] attention to my words.
| אל-ישט אל-דרכיה לבך אל-תתע בנתיבותיה | 25 |
Do not allow anything to arouse/persuade you to go with an immoral woman like that. Do not go where she goes.
| כי-רבים חללים הפילה ועצמים כל-הרגיה | 26 |
She has caused many men to be ruined; truly, no one can count the men she has killed.
