מִשְׁלֵי 30
| דִּבְרֵי ׀ אָגוּר בִּן־יָקֶה הַמַּשָּׂא נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר לְאִֽיתִיאֵל לְאִיתִיאֵל וְאֻכָֽל׃ | 1 |
The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:
| כִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ וְלֹֽא־בִינַת אָדָם לִֽי׃ | 2 |
“I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
| וְלֹֽא־לָמַדְתִּי חׇכְמָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָֽע׃ | 3 |
I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
| מִי עָלָֽה־שָׁמַיִם ׀ וַיֵּרַד מִי אָֽסַף־רוּחַ ׀ בְּחׇפְנָיו מִי צָֽרַר־מַיִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָה מִי הֵקִים כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ מַה־שְּׁמוֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָֽע׃ | 4 |
Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?
| כׇּל־אִמְרַת אֱלוֹהַּ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לַחֹסִים בּֽוֹ׃ | 5 |
Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
| אַל־תּוֹסְףְּ עַל־דְּבָרָיו פֶּן־יוֹכִיחַ בְּךָ וְנִכְזָֽבְתָּ׃ | 6 |
Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
| שְׁתַּיִם שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ אַל־תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי בְּטֶרֶם אָמֽוּת׃ | 7 |
Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
| שָׁוְא ׀ וּֽדְבַר־כָּזָב הַרְחֵק מִמֶּנִּי רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּֽתֶּן־לִי הַטְרִיפֵנִי לֶחֶם חֻקִּֽי׃ | 8 |
Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,
| פֶּן אֶשְׂבַּע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מִי יְהֹוָה וּפֶֽן־אִוָּרֵשׁ וְגָנַבְתִּי וְתָפַשְׂתִּי שֵׁם אֱלֹהָֽי׃ | 9 |
lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God.
| אַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָו פֶּֽן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָֽׁמְתָּ׃ | 10 |
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
| דּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵֽךְ׃ | 11 |
There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
| דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָֽץ׃ | 12 |
There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
| דּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃ | 13 |
There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
| דּוֹר ׀ חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו וּֽמַאֲכָלוֹת מְֽתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיוֹנִים מֵאָדָֽם׃ | 14 |
There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men.
| לַעֲלוּקָה ׀ שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַ ב ׀ הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הֽוֹן׃ | 15 |
The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:
| שְׁאוֹל וְעֹצֶר רָחַם אֶרֶץ לֹא־שָׂבְעָה מַּיִם וְאֵשׁ לֹא־אָמְרָה הֽוֹן׃ (Sheol h7585) | 16 |
Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’ (Sheol h7585)
| עַיִן ׀ תִּלְעַג לְאָב וְתָבֻז לִֽיקְּהַת־אֵם יִקְּרוּהָ עֹֽרְבֵי־נַחַל וְֽיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃ | 17 |
The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it.
| שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי (וארבע) [וְאַרְבָּעָה] לֹא יְדַעְתִּֽים׃ | 18 |
Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
| דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר ׀ בַּשָּׁמַיִם דֶּרֶךְ נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי־צוּר דֶּֽרֶךְ־אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב־יָם וְדֶרֶךְ גֶּבֶר בְּעַלְמָֽה׃ | 19 |
the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in adolescence.
| כֵּן ׀ דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא־פָעַלְתִּי אָֽוֶן׃ | 20 |
Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”
| תַּחַת שָׁלוֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְתַחַת אַרְבַּע לֹא־תוּכַל שְׂאֵֽת׃ | 21 |
By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
| תַּֽחַת־עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְנָבָל כִּי יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־לָֽחֶם׃ | 22 |
by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
| תַּחַת שְׂנוּאָה כִּי תִבָּעֵל וְשִׁפְחָה כִּֽי־תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽהּ׃ | 23 |
by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.
| אַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּי־אָרֶץ וְהֵמָּה חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃ | 24 |
Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
| הַנְּמָלִים עַם לֹא־עָז וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָֽם׃ | 25 |
the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
| שְׁפַנִּים עַם לֹא־עָצוּם וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָֽם׃ | 26 |
the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
| מֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ | 27 |
The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
| שְׂמָמִית בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ וְהִיא בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃ | 28 |
The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
| שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד וְאַרְבָּעָה מֵיטִבֵי לָֽכֶת׃ | 29 |
There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
| לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹֽל׃ | 30 |
a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
| זַרְזִיר מׇתְנַיִם אוֹ־תָיִשׁ וּמֶלֶךְ אַלְקוּם עִמּֽוֹ׃ | 31 |
a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
| אִם־נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא וְאִם־זַמּוֹתָ יָד לְפֶֽה׃ | 32 |
There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth.
| כִּי מִיץ חָלָב יוֹצִיא חֶמְאָה וּֽמִיץ־אַף יוֹצִיא דָם וּמִיץ אַפַּיִם יוֹצִיא רִֽיב׃ | 33 |
But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.”
