מִשְׁלֵי 9
| חכמות בנתה ביתה חצבה עמודיה שבעה | 1 |
[It is as though] wisdom [is a woman who] has built a [big] house for herself, and has set up seven columns [to support the roof],
| טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה אף ערכה שלחנה | 2 |
and has slaughtered an animal [and cooked the meat], and has mixed [nice spices] in the wine, and has put [the food] on the table.
| שלחה נערתיה תקרא-- על-גפי מרמי קרת | 3 |
[It is as though then] she sent out her servant women to call out from the highest place in the town,
| מי-פתי יסר הנה חסר-לב אמרה לו | 4 |
“You people who need to understand more, come in!” And to those who are ignorant, [it is as though] she calls out,
| לכו לחמו בלחמי ושתו ביין מסכתי | 5 |
“Come and eat the food that I [have prepared], and drink the [good] wine that I have mixed!
| עזבו פתאים וחיו ואשרו בדרך בינה | 6 |
(Leave/Go away from) [other] foolish people, and [if you do that, you will continue to] live. Walk on the road that will enable you to (have knowledge/know what is true and what is not true).”
| יסר לץ--לקח לו קלון ומוכיח לרשע מומו | 7 |
If you rebuke someone who will not allow others to correct him, he will insult you. If you reprove/scold an evil man, he will hurt you.
| אל-תוכח לץ פן-ישנאך הוכח לחכם ויאהבך | 8 |
Do not rebuke someone who will not allow others to (correct him/tell him what he has done is wrong), because he will hate you for doing that. [But] if you rebuke a wise person, he will respect you.
| תן לחכם ויחכם-עוד הודע לצדיק ויוסף לקח | 9 |
If you give instruction to wise people, they will become wiser. And if you teach righteous people, they will learn more.
| תחלת חכמה יראת יהוה ודעת קדשים בינה | 10 |
If you want to be wise, you must start by revering Yahweh, and if you know God, the Holy One, you will understand [which teachings are wise/true].
| כי-בי ירבו ימיך ויוסיפו לך שנות חיים | 11 |
If you become wise, you will live many years [DOU].
| אם-חכמת חכמת לך ולצת לבדך תשא | 12 |
If you are wise, you are the one who will benefit from it; if you ridicule [becoming wise], you are the one who will suffer.
| אשת כסילות המיה פתיות ובל-ידעה מה | 13 |
Foolish women talk loudly; they are ignorant and are never ashamed [of the wrong things that they do].
| וישבה לפתח ביתה-- על-כסא מרמי קרת | 14 |
They sit at the doors of their houses [or] they sit on the top [of the hills] in the town,
| לקרא לעברי-דרך המישרים ארחותם | 15 |
and they call out to the men who are passing by, who are trying to be concerned with their own affairs,
| מי-פתי יסר הנה וחסר-לב ואמרה לו | 16 |
“You people who need to understand more, come into [my house]!” And to those who are ignorant, they call out,
| מים-גנובים ימתקו ולחם סתרים ינעם | 17 |
“[Just as] water which you have stolen tastes very good and food that you eat by yourself tastes the best, [if you have sex secretly with someone to whom you are not married, you will enjoy it very much].”
