מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּנִי אִם־עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

2 נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִיךָ נִלְכַּדְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

Hast been snared with sayings of thy mouth, Hast been captured with sayings of thy mouth,

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

Do this now, my son, and be delivered, For thou hast come into the hand of thy friend. Go, trample on thyself, and strengthen thy friend,

4 אַל־תִּתֵּן שֵׁנָה לְעֵינֶיךָ וּתְנוּמָה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

5 הִנָּצֵל כִּצְבִי מִיָּד וּכְצִפּוֹר מִיַּד יָקֽוּשׁ׃

Be delivered as a roe from the hand, And as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָה עָצֵל רְאֵה דְרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

7 אֲשֶׁר אֵֽין־לָהּ קָצִין שֹׁטֵר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

8 תָּכִין בַּקַּיִץ לַחְמָהּ אָגְרָה בַקָּצִיר מַֽאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

She doth prepare in summer her bread, She hath gathered in harvest her food.

9 עַד־מָתַי עָצֵל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?

10 מְעַט שֵׁנוֹת מְעַט תְּנוּמוֹת מְעַט ׀ חִבֻּק יָדַיִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

A little sleep, a little slumber, A little clasping of the hands to rest,

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּךְ רֵאשֶׁךָ וּמַחְסֹרְךָ כְּאִישׁ מָגֵֽן׃

And thy poverty hath come as a traveller, And thy want as an armed man.

12 אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל אִישׁ אָוֶן הוֹלֵךְ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּֽה׃

A man of worthlessness, a man of iniquity, Walking [with] perverseness of mouth,

13 קֹרֵץ בְּעֵינָו מֹלֵל בְּרַגְלָו מֹרֶה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

Winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, Directing with his fingers,

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

Frowardness [is] in his heart, devising evil at all times, Contentions he sendeth forth.

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

Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken — and no healing.

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

These six hath Jehovah hated, Yea, seven [are] abominations to His soul.

17 עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר וְיָדַיִם שֹׁפְכוֹת דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

Eyes high — tongues false — And hands shedding innocent blood —

18 לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן רַגְלַיִם מְמַהֲרוֹת לָרוּץ לָֽרָעָֽה׃

A heart devising thoughts of vanity — Feet hasting to run to evil —

19 יָפִיחַ כְּזָבִים עֵד שָׁקֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִֽים׃

A false witness [who] doth breathe out lies — And one sending forth contentions between brethren.

20 נְצֹר בְּנִי מִצְוַת אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

21 קׇשְׁרֵם עַל־לִבְּךָ תָמִיד עׇנְדֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

Bind them on thy heart continually, Tie them on thy neck.

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

In thy going up and down, it leadeth thee, In thy lying down, it watcheth over thee, And thou hast awaked — it talketh [with] thee.

23 כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר וְדֶרֶךְ חַיִּים תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָֽר׃

For a lamp [is] the command, And the law a light, And a way of life [are] reproofs of instruction,

24 לִשְׁמׇרְךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת רָע מֵחֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃

To preserve thee from an evil woman, From the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹד יׇפְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ וְאַל־תִּקָּחֲךָ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

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

For a harlot consumeth unto a cake of bread, And an adulteress the precious soul hunteth.

27 הֲיַחְתֶּה אִישׁ אֵשׁ בְּחֵיקוֹ וּבְגָדָיו לֹא תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

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

Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

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

So [is] he who hath gone in unto the wife of his neighbour, None who doth touch her is innocent.

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

They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

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

And being found he repayeth sevenfold, All the substance of his house he giveth.

32 נֹאֵף אִשָּׁה חֲסַר־לֵב מַֽשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ הוּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

He who committeth adultery [with] a woman lacketh heart, He is destroying his soul who doth it.

33 נֶגַע־וְקָלוֹן יִמְצָא וְחֶרְפָּתוֹ לֹא תִמָּחֶֽה׃

A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

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

For jealousy [is] the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

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

He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!