מִשְׁלֵי 26
| כַּשֶּׁלֶג ׀ בַּקַּיִץ וְכַמָּטָר בַּקָּצִיר כֵּן לֹֽא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 1 |
Like snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so kavod ·weighty glory· is not fitting for a fool.
| כַּצִּפּוֹר לָנוּד כַּדְּרוֹר לָעוּף כֵּן קִֽלְלַת חִנָּם (לא) [לוֹ] תָבֹֽא׃ | 2 |
Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting swallow, so the undeserved curse does not come to rest.
| שׁוֹט לַסּוּס מֶתֶג לַחֲמוֹר וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו כְּסִילִֽים׃ | 3 |
A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of fools!
| אַל־תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּוֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃ | 4 |
Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.
| עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ | 5 |
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.
| מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃ | 6 |
One who sends a message by the hand of a fool is cutting off feet and drinking violence.
| דַּלְיוּ שֹׁקַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃ | 7 |
Like the legs of the lame that hang loose: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
| כִּצְרוֹר אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה כֵּן־נוֹתֵן לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 8 |
As one who binds a stone in a sling, so is he who gives kavod ·weighty glory· to a fool.
| חוֹחַ עָלָה בְיַד־שִׁכּוֹר וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃ | 9 |
Like a thorn bush that goes into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
| רַב מְחוֹלֵֽל־כֹּל וְשֹׂכֵר כְּסִיל וְשֹׂכֵר עֹבְרִֽים׃ | 10 |
As an archer who wounds all, so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.
| כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ | 11 |
As a dog that makes teshuvah ·completely returns· to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.
| רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 12 |
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
| אָמַר עָצֵל שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ אֲרִי בֵּין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת׃ | 13 |
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion roams the streets!”
| הַדֶּלֶת תִּסּוֹב עַל־צִירָהּ וְעָצֵל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃ | 14 |
As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.
| טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת נִלְאָה לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃ | 15 |
The sluggard buries his hand in the dish. He is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
| חָכָם עָצֵל בְּעֵינָיו מִשִּׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טָֽעַם׃ | 16 |
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who answer with discretion.
| מַחֲזִיק בְּאׇזְנֵי־כָלֶב עֹבֵר מִתְעַבֵּר עַל־רִיב לֹּא־לֽוֹ׃ | 17 |
Like one who grabs a dog’s ears is one who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own.
| כְּֽמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָֽוֶת׃ | 18 |
Like a madman who shoots torches, arrows, and death,
| כֵּֽן־אִישׁ רִמָּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאָמַר הֲֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵק אָֽנִי׃ | 19 |
is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, “Am I not joking?”
| בְּאֶפֶס עֵצִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵשׁ וּבְאֵין נִרְגָּן יִשְׁתֹּק מָדֽוֹן׃ | 20 |
For lack of wood a fire goes out. Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
| פֶּחָם לְגֶחָלִים וְעֵצִים לְאֵשׁ וְאִישׁ (מדונים) [מִדְיָנִים] לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃ | 21 |
As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindling strife.
| דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃ | 22 |
The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, they go down into the innermost parts.
| כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל־חָרֶשׂ שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃ | 23 |
Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.
| בִּשְׂפָתָו יִנָּכֵר שׂוֹנֵא וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׁית מִרְמָֽה׃ | 24 |
A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart.
| כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּן קוֹלוֹ אַל־תַּאֲמֶן־בּוֹ כִּי שֶׁבַע תּוֹעֵבוֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃ | 25 |
When his speech is pleasant, don’t trust him; for there are seven abominations in his heart.
| תִּכַּסֶּה שִׂנְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאוֹן תִּגָּלֶה רָֽעָתוֹ בְקָהָֽל׃ | 26 |
His malice may be concealed by deception, but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
| כֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁחַת בָּהּ יִפּוֹל וְגוֹלֵֽל אֶבֶן אֵלָיו תָּשֽׁוּב׃ | 27 |
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
| לְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁקֶר יִשְׂנָא דַכָּיו וּפֶה חָלָק יַעֲשֶׂה מִדְחֶֽה׃ | 28 |
A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering mouth works ruin.
