מִשְׁלֵי 23
| כִּֽי־תֵשֵׁב לִלְחוֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁל בִּין תָּבִין אֶת־אֲשֶׁר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃ | 1 |
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
| וְשַׂמְתָּ שַׂכִּין בְּלֹעֶךָ אִם־בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃ | 2 |
put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
| אַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָיו וְהוּא לֶחֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃ | 3 |
Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
| אַל־תִּיגַע לְֽהַעֲשִׁיר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָֽל׃ | 4 |
Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
| (התעוף) [הֲתָעִיף] עֵינֶיךָ בּוֹ וְֽאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּוֹ כְנָפַיִם כְּנֶשֶׁר (ועיף) [יָעוּף] הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | 5 |
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
| אַל־תִּלְחַם אֶת־לֶחֶם רַע עָיִן וְאַל־תִּתְאָו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃ | 6 |
Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:
| כִּי ׀ כְּמוֹ שָׁעַר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ כֶּן־הוּא אֱכוֹל וּשְׁתֵה יֹאמַר לָךְ וְלִבּוֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃ | 7 |
for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
| פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַלְתָּ תְקִיאֶנָּה וְשִׁחַתָּ דְּבָרֶיךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃ | 8 |
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
| בְּאׇזְנֵי כְסִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּר כִּֽי־יָבוּז לְשֵׂכֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃ | 9 |
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
| אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם וּבִשְׂדֵי יְתוֹמִים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃ | 10 |
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
| כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָם חָזָק הֽוּא־יָרִיב אֶת־רִיבָם אִתָּֽךְ׃ | 11 |
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
| הָבִיאָה לַמּוּסָר לִבֶּךָ וְאׇזְנֶךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃ | 12 |
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
| אַל־תִּמְנַע מִנַּעַר מוּסָר כִּֽי־תַכֶּנּוּ בַשֵּׁבֶט לֹא יָמֽוּת׃ | 13 |
Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
| אַתָּה בַּשֵּׁבֶט תַּכֶּנּוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ מִשְּׁאוֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃ (Sheol h7585) | 14 |
Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol ·Place of the dead·. (Sheol h7585)
| בְּנִי אִם־חָכַם לִבֶּךָ יִשְׂמַח לִבִּי גַם־אָֽנִי׃ | 15 |
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
| וְתַעְלֹזְנָה כִלְיוֹתָי בְּדַבֵּר שְׂפָתֶיךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | 16 |
yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
| אַל־יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְהֹוָה כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 17 |
Don’t let your heart envy people who sin ·intentionally miss the mark goal·; but rather fear Adonai all the day long.
| כִּי אִם־יֵשׁ אַחֲרִית וְתִקְוָתְךָ לֹא תִכָּרֵֽת׃ | 18 |
Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
| שְׁמַע־אַתָּה בְנִי וַחֲכָם וְאַשֵּׁר בַּדֶּרֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃ | 19 |
Sh'ma ·Hear obey·, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
| אַל־תְּהִי בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָיִן בְּזֹלְלֵי בָשָׂר לָֽמוֹ׃ | 20 |
Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
| כִּֽי־סֹבֵא וְזוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵשׁ וּקְרָעִים תַּלְבִּישׁ נוּמָֽה׃ | 21 |
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
| שְׁמַע לְאָבִיךָ זֶה יְלָדֶךָ וְאַל־תָּבוּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָה אִמֶּֽךָ׃ | 22 |
Sh'ma ·Hear obey· your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
| אֱמֶת קְנֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּר חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר וּבִינָֽה׃ | 23 |
Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
| (גול) [גִּיל] יָגִיל אֲבִי צַדִּיק (יולד) [וְיוֹלֵד] חָכָם (וישמח) [יִשְׂמַח־]בּֽוֹ׃ | 24 |
The father of the upright has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
| יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִיךָ וְאִמֶּךָ וְתָגֵל יוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃ | 25 |
Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
| תְּנָה־בְנִי לִבְּךָ לִי וְעֵינֶיךָ דְּרָכַי (תרצנה) [תִּצֹּֽרְנָה]׃ | 26 |
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
| כִּֽי־שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה זוֹנָה וּבְאֵר צָרָה נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃ | 27 |
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
| אַף־הִיא כְּחֶתֶף תֶּאֱרֹב וּבוֹגְדִים בְּאָדָם תּוֹסִֽף׃ | 28 |
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
| לְמִי אוֹי לְמִי אֲבוֹי לְמִי (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים ׀] לְמִי שִׂיחַ לְמִי פְּצָעִים חִנָּם לְמִי חַכְלִלוּת עֵינָֽיִם׃ | 29 |
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
| לַֽמְאַחֲרִים עַל־הַיָּיִן לַבָּאִים לַחְקֹר מִמְסָֽךְ׃ | 30 |
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
| אַל־תֵּרֶא יַּיִן כִּי יִתְאַדָּם כִּֽי־יִתֵּן (בכיס) [בַּכּוֹס] עֵינוֹ יִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמֵֽישָׁרִֽים׃ | 31 |
Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
| אַחֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָשׁ יִשָּׁךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִי יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ | 32 |
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
| עֵינֶיךָ יִרְאוּ זָרוֹת וְלִבְּךָ יְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ | 33 |
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
| וְהָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵב בְּלֶב־יָם וּכְשֹׁכֵב בְּרֹאשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃ | 34 |
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
| הִכּוּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי הֲלָמוּנִי בַּל־יָדָעְתִּי מָתַי אָקִיץ אוֹסִיף אֲבַקְשֶׁנּוּ עֽוֹד׃ | 35 |
“They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”
