מִשְׁלֵי 5

1 בְּנִי לְחׇכְמָתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה לִתְבוּנָתִי הַט־אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, pay attention to my wisdom; incline your ears to my understanding,

2 לִשְׁמֹר מְזִמּוֹת וְדַעַת שְׂפָתֶיךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

so you may learn about discretion and your lips may protect knowledge.

3 כִּי נֹפֶת תִּטֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵי זָרָה וְחָלָק מִשֶּׁמֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

For the lips of an adulteress drip with honey and her mouth is smoother than oil,

4 וְֽאַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָה כַֽלַּעֲנָה חַדָּה כְּחֶרֶב פִּיּֽוֹת׃

but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, cutting like a sharp sword.

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

Her feet go down to death; her steps go all the way to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

6 אֹרַח חַיִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּס נָעוּ מַעְגְּלֹתֶיהָ לֹא תֵדָֽע׃

She gives no thought to the path of life. Her footsteps wander; she does not know where she is going.

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

Now, my sons, listen to me; do not turn away from listening to the words of my mouth.

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

Keep your path far away from her and do not come near the door of her house.

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּן לַאֲחֵרִים הוֹדֶךָ וּשְׁנֹתֶיךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

In that way you will not give away your honor to others or years of your life to a cruel person;

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּעוּ זָרִים כֹּחֶךָ וַעֲצָבֶיךָ בְּבֵית נׇכְרִֽי׃

strangers will not feast on your wealth; what you have worked for will not go into the house of strangers.

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ בְאַחֲרִיתֶךָ בִּכְלוֹת בְּשָׂרְךָ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body waste away.

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׂנֵאתִי מוּסָר וְתוֹכַחַת נָאַץ לִבִּֽי׃

You will say, “How I hated instruction and my heart despised correction!

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

I would not obey my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

14 כִּמְעַט הָיִיתִי בְכׇל־רָע בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל וְעֵדָֽה׃

I was almost completely ruined in the midst of the assembly, among the gathering of the people.”

15 שְׁתֵה־מַיִם מִבּוֹרֶךָ וְנֹזְלִים מִתּוֹךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

Drink water from your own cistern and drink running water from your own well.

16 יָפוּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶיךָ חוּצָה בָּרְחֹבוֹת פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Should your springs overflow everywhere and your streams of water flow in the public squares?

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ וְאֵין לְזָרִים אִתָּֽךְ׃

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

18 יְהִֽי־מְקוֹרְךָ בָרוּךְ וּשְׂמַח מֵאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

May your fountain be blessed and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth,

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

for she is a loving deer and a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; may you be continually intoxicated by her love.

20 וְלָמָּה תִשְׁגֶּה בְנִי בְזָרָה וּתְחַבֵּק חֵק נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

For why should you, my son, be captivated by an adulteress; why should you embrace the breasts of an immoral woman?

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

Yahweh sees everything a person does and watches all the paths he takes.

22 עֲֽווֹנֹתָיו יִלְכְּדֻנוֹ אֶת־הָרָשָׁע וּבְחַבְלֵי חַטָּאתוֹ יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

A wicked person will be seized by his own iniquities; the cords of his sin will hold him tight.

23 הוּא יָמוּת בְּאֵין מוּסָר וּבְרֹב אִוַּלְתּוֹ יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃

He will die because he lacks instruction; he is led astray by his great foolishness.