מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃

Sh'ma ·Hear obey·, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

2 כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my Torah ·Teaching·.

3 כִּֽי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃

For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

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

He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my mitzvot ·instructions·, and live.

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

Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. 'Ahav ·Affectionately love· her, and she will keep you.

7 רֵאשִׁית חׇכְמָה קְנֵה חׇכְמָה וּבְכׇל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃

Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

9 תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She will give to your head a garland of chen ·grace·. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

10 שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Sh'ma ·Hear obey·, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

11 בְּדֶרֶךְ חׇכְמָה הֹרֵיתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

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

When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

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

Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

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

Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

15 פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבׇר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבֹֽר׃

Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

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

For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

17 כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

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

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

But the path of the upright is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.

19 דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃

The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.

20 בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

21 אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שׇׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּֽלְכׇל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

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

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

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

24 הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

25 עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

26 פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכׇל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃

Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.