מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִ שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 לָדַעַת חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָֽה׃

For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵשָׁרִֽים׃

For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עׇרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

7 יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃

Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאוֹל חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיוֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ (Sheol h7585)

We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)

13 כׇּל־הוֹן יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,

14 גּוֹרָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתוֹכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.'

15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפׇּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כׇּל־בַּעַל כָּנָֽף׃

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.

19 כֵּן אׇרְחוֹת כׇּל־בֹּצֵֽעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּֽח׃

So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.

20 חׇכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:

22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּֽאֵהֲבוּ ־ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצוֹן חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כׇל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,

27 בְּבֹא (כשאוה) [כְשׁוֹאָה ׀] פַּחְדְּכֶם וְֽאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָֽה׃

When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

29 תַּחַת כִּֽי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָֽרוּ׃

Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כׇּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

31 וְֽיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכׇּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'

King Solomon in Old Age