מִשְׁלֵי 5

1 בְּנִי לְחׇכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה לִתְבוּנָתִי הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, to my wisdom, attend, and, to mine understanding, incline thou thine ear:

2 לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת וְדַעַת שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

That thou mayest preserve discretion, —and, as for knowledge, that thy lips may guard it.

3 כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

For, with sweet droppings, drip the lips of her that is a stranger, and, smoother than oil, is her mouth;

4 וְֽאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַֽלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃

But, the latter end of her, is bitter as wormwood, sharp, as a two-edged sword!

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

Her feet, are going down to death, —on hades, will her steps take firm hold. (Sheol h7585)

6 אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָֽע׃

Lest, the path of life, she should ponder, her tracks have wandered she knoweth not [whither].

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

Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.

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

Keep far from her thy way, and do not go near the opening of her house:

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

Lest thou give, to other men, thy vigour, and thy years, to him that is cruel:

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ וַעֲצָבֶיךָ בְּבֵית נׇכְרִֽי׃

Lest strange men, be well fed, by thy strength, and, thy toils, be in the house of the alien.

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

So shalt thou grieve in thy latter end, in the failing of thy flesh and of thy healthy condition;

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר וְתוֹכַחַת נָאַץ לִבִּֽי׃

And thou shalt say—How I hated correction! and, reproof, my heart disdained;

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

Neither hearkened I to the voice of my teachers, nor, to my instructors, inclined I mine ear:

14 כִּמְעַט הָיִיתִי בְכׇל־רָע בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָֽה׃

Soon was I in all evil, in the midst of convocation and assembly.

15 שְׁתֵה־מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ וְנֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

Drink thou water out of thine own cistern, and flowing streams out of the midst of thine own well.

16 יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבוֹת פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Let not thy fountains, flow over, abroad, in the streets, dividings of waters:

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּֽךְ׃

Let them be for thyself, alone, and not for strangers with thee.

18 יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ וּשְׂמַח מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

Let thy well-spring be blessed, —and get thy joy from the wife of thy youth: —

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

A loving hind! a graceful doe! let, her bosom, content thee at all times, and, in her love, mayst thou stray evermore.

20 וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה וּתְחַבֵּק חֵק נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

Wherefore, then, shouldst thou stray, my son, with a strange woman? or embrace the bosom of a woman unknown?

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

For, before the eyes of Yahweh, are the ways of a man, —and, all his tracks, doth he consider:

22 עֲֽווֹנֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

His own iniquities, shall entrap him with the lawless, and, by the cords of his own sin, shall he be seized.

23 הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃

He, shall die, for lack of discipline, and, by the abounding of his perversity, shall he be lost.