מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּנִי אִם־עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

[My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא ׀ בְּנִי וְֽהִנָּצֵל כִּי בָאתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶךָ לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס וּרְהַב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

[My] son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

4 אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

5 הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 אֲשֶׁר אֵֽין־לָהּ קָצִין שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַֽאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 עַד־מָתַי עָצֵל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

10 מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט ׀ חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short [time], and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרְךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן הוֹלֵךְ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּֽה׃

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו מֹרֶה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 תַּהְפֻּכוֹת ׀ בְּלִבּוֹ חֹרֵשׁ רָע בְּכׇל־עֵת (מדנים) [מִדְיָנִים] יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 עַל־כֵּן פִּתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֵידוֹ פֶּתַע יִשָּׁבֵר וְאֵין מַרְפֵּֽא׃

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵנָּה שָׂנֵא יְהֹוָה וְשֶׁבַע (תועבות) [תּוֹעֲבַת] נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר וְיָדַיִם שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָֽרָעָֽה׃

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].

19 יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִֽים׃

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 נְצֹר בְּנִי מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

[My] son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:

21 קׇשְׁרֵם עַל־לִבְּךָ תָמִיד עׇנְדֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.

22 בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ ׀ תַּנְחֶה אֹתָךְ בְּֽשׇׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

23 כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 לִשְׁמׇרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹד יׇפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 כִּי בְעַד־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה עַֽד־כִּכַּר ־ לָחֶם וְאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה תָצֽוּד׃

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 אִם־יְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִים וְרַגְלָיו לֹא תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 כֵּן הַבָּא אֶל־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ לֹא יִנָּקֶה כׇּֽל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּֽהּ׃

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 לֹא־יָבוּזוּ לַגַּנָּב כִּי יִגְנוֹב לְמַלֵּא נַפְשׁוֹ כִּי יִרְעָֽב׃

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 וְנִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּם שִׁבְעָתָיִם אֶת־כׇּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ יִתֵּֽן׃

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַֽשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 נֶגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 כִּֽי־קִנְאָה חֲמַת־גָּבֶר וְלֹא־יַחְמוֹל בְּיוֹם נָקָֽם׃

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 לֹֽא־יִשָּׂא פְּנֵי כׇל־כֹּפֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹאבֶה כִּי תַרְבֶּה־שֹּֽׁחַד׃

He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.