מִשְׁלֵי 2

1 בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֺתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּֽךְ׃

My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my mitzvot ·instructions· within you;

2 לְהַקְשִׁיב לַחׇכְמָה אׇזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃

So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

3 כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃

Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

4 אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

5 אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָֽא׃

then you will understand the fear of Adonai, and find the knowledge of God.

6 כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה יִתֵּן חׇכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

For Adonai gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7 (וצפן) [יִצְפֹּן] לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹֽם׃

He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

8 לִנְצֹר אׇרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חֲסִידָו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃

that he may guard the paths of mishpat ·justice·, and preserve the way of his saints.

9 אָז תָּבִין צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים כׇּל־מַעְגַּל־טֽוֹב׃

Then you will understand righteousness and mishpat ·justice·, equity and every good path.

10 כִּֽי־תָבוֹא חׇכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָֽם׃

For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12 לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

13 הַעֹזְבִים אׇרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָֽע׃

who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

15 אֲשֶׁר אׇרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃

who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

16 לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנׇּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

17 הַֽעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃

who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties· of her God:

18 כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל־מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃

for her house leads down to death, her paths to the departed spirits.

19 כׇּל־בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן וְלֹֽא־יַשִּׂיגוּ אׇרְחוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

None who go to her teshuvah ·completely return· again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

20 לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאׇרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the upright.

21 כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ־אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָֽהּ׃

For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

22 וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.