מִשְׁלֵי 5

1 בְּנִי לְחׇכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה לִתְבוּנָתִי הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

2 לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת וְדַעַת שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

3 כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

4 וְֽאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַֽלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃

But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 רַגְלֶיהָ יֹרְדוֹת מָוֶת שְׁאוֹל צְעָדֶיהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ (Sheol h7585)

Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol ·Place of the dead·. (Sheol h7585)

6 אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָֽע׃

She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she does not know it.

7 וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַל־תָּסוּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Now therefore, my sons, sh'ma ·hear obey· me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.

8 הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ וְאַל־תִּקְרַב אֶל־פֶּתַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃

Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ וַעֲצָבֶיךָ בְּבֵית נׇכְרִֽי׃

lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר וְתוֹכַחַת נָאַץ לִבִּֽי׃

and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13 וְֽלֹא־שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּקוֹל מוֹרָי וְלִֽמְלַמְּדַי לֹֽא־הִטִּיתִי אׇזְנִֽי׃

neither have I sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

14 כִּמְעַט הָיִיתִי בְכׇל־רָע בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָֽה׃

I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”

15 שְׁתֵה־מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ וְנֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

16 יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבוֹת פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּֽךְ׃

Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

18 יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ וּשְׂמַח מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 אַיֶּלֶת אֲהָבִים וְֽיַעֲלַת־חֵן דַּדֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּךָ בְכׇל־עֵת בְּאַהֲבָתָהּ תִּשְׁגֶּה תָמִֽיד׃

An ahab ·affectionately loving· doe and a chen ·graceful· deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be intoxicated always with her love.

20 וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה וּתְחַבֵּק חֵק נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

For why should you, my son, be led astray, intoxicated sin ·error· with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

21 כִּי נֹכַח ׀ עֵינֵי יְהֹוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ וְֽכׇל־מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּֽס׃

For the ways of man are before Adonai’s eyes. He examines all his paths.

22 עֲֽווֹנֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

The depravities (moral evils) of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his habitual sins ·missing the marks· hold him firmly.

23 הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃

He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will be led astray, intoxicated, unintentional sin ·error·.