מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.

2 כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.

3 כִּֽי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃

When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,

4 וַיֹּרֵנִי וַיֹּאמֶר לִי יִֽתְמׇךְ־דְּבָרַי לִבֶּךָ שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וֶחְיֵֽה׃

he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.

5 קְנֵה חׇכְמָה קְנֵה בִינָה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח וְאַל־תֵּט מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.

7 רֵאשִׁית חׇכְמָה קְנֵה חׇכְמָה וּבְכׇל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃

Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.

9 תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”

10 שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.

11 בְּדֶרֶךְ חׇכְמָה הֹרֵיתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.

12 בְּֽלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם־תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃

When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.

13 הַחֲזֵק בַּמּוּסָר אַל־תֶּרֶף נִצְּרֶהָ כִּי־הִיא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.

14 בְּאֹרַח רְשָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹא וְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁר בְּדֶרֶךְ רָעִֽים׃

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.

15 פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבֹֽר׃

Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.

16 כִּי לֹא יִֽשְׁנוּ אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם אִם־לֹא (יכשולו) [יַכְשִֽׁילוּ]׃

For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.

17 כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

18 וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.

19 דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃

But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.

20 בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

21 אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שׇׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּֽלְכׇל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.

23 מִֽכׇּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּֽי־מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

24 הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.

25 עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.

26 פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃

Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.