מִשְׁלֵי 8

1 הֲלֹֽא־חׇכְמָה תִקְרָא וּתְבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

2 בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרֹמִים עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ בֵּית נְתִיבוֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃

At the head of high places by the way, Between the paths she hath stood,

3 לְיַד־שְׁעָרִים לְפִי־קָרֶת מְבוֹא פְתָחִים תָּרֹֽנָּה׃

At the side of the gates, at the mouth of the city, The entrance of the openings, she crieth aloud,

4 אֲלֵיכֶם אִישִׁים אֶקְרָא וְקוֹלִי אֶל־בְּנֵי אָדָֽם׃

'Unto you, O men, I call, And my voice [is] unto the sons of men.

5 הָבִינוּ פְתָאיִם עׇרְמָה וּכְסִילִים הָבִינוּ לֵֽב׃

Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

6 שִׁמְעוּ כִּֽי־נְגִידִים אֲדַבֵּר וּמִפְתַּח שְׂפָתַי מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips [is] uprightness.

7 כִּֽי־אֱמֶת יֶהְגֶּה חִכִּי וְתוֹעֲבַת שְׂפָתַי רֶֽשַׁע׃

For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips [is] wickedness.

8 בְּצֶדֶק כׇּל־אִמְרֵי־פִי אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃

In righteousness [are] all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse.

9 כֻּלָּם נְכֹחִים לַמֵּבִין וִישָׁרִים לְמֹצְאֵי דָֽעַת׃

All of them [are] plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.

10 קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִי וְאַל־כָּסֶף וְדַעַת מֵחָרוּץ נִבְחָֽר׃

Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.

11 כִּֽי־טוֹבָה חׇכְמָה מִפְּנִינִים וְכׇל־חֲפָצִים לֹא יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

For better [is] wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

12 אֲֽנִי־חׇכְמָה שָׁכַנְתִּי עׇרְמָה וְדַעַת מְזִמּוֹת אֶמְצָֽא׃

I, wisdom, have dwelt with prudence, And a knowledge of devices I find out.

13 יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה שְֽׂנֹאת ־ רָע גֵּאָה וְגָאוֹן ׀ וְדֶרֶךְ רָע וּפִי תַהְפֻּכוֹת שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃

The fear of Jehovah [is] to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.

14 לִֽי־עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה אֲנִי בִינָה לִי גְבוּרָֽה׃

Mine [is] counsel and substance, I [am] understanding, I have might.

15 בִּי מְלָכִים יִמְלֹכוּ וְרֹזְנִים יְחֹקְקוּ צֶֽדֶק׃

By me kings reign, and princes decree righteousness,

16 בִּי שָׂרִים יָשֹׂרוּ וּנְדִיבִים כׇּל־שֹׁפְטֵי צֶֽדֶק׃

By me do chiefs rule, and nobles, All judges of the earth.

17 אֲנִי (אהביה) [אֹהֲבַי] אֵהָב וּמְשַׁחֲרַי יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me.

18 עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָבוֹד אִתִּי הוֹן עָתֵק וּצְדָקָֽה׃

Wealth and honour [are] with me, Lasting substance and righteousness.

19 טוֹב פִּרְיִי מֵחָרוּץ וּמִפָּז וּתְבוּאָתִי מִכֶּסֶף נִבְחָֽר׃

Better [is] my fruit than gold, even fine gold, And mine increase than choice silver.

20 בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָה אֲהַלֵּךְ בְּתוֹךְ נְתִיבוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

In a path of righteousness I cause to walk, In midst of paths of judgment,

21 לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי ׀ יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּֽא׃

To cause my lovers to inherit substance, Yea, their treasures I fill.

22 יְֽהֹוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָֽז׃

Jehovah possessed me — the beginning of His way, Before His works since then.

23 מֵעוֹלָם נִסַּכְתִּי מֵרֹאשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

From the age I was anointed, from the first, From former states of the earth.

24 בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמוֹת חוֹלָלְתִּי בְּאֵין מַעְיָנוֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם׃

In there being no depths, I was brought forth, In there being no fountains heavy [with] waters,

25 בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים הׇטְבָּעוּ לִפְנֵי גְבָעוֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃

Before mountains were sunk, Before heights, I was brought forth.

26 עַד־לֹא עָשָׂה אֶרֶץ וְחוּצוֹת וְרֹאשׁ עַפְרוֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃

While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

27 בַּהֲכִינוֹ שָׁמַיִם שָׁם אָנִי בְּחֻקוֹ חוּג עַל־פְּנֵי תְהֽוֹם׃

In His preparing the heavens I [am] there, In His decreeing a circle on the face of the deep,

28 בְּאַמְּצוֹ שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל בַּעֲזוֹז עִינוֹת תְּהֽוֹם׃

In His strengthening clouds above, In His making strong fountains of the deep,

29 בְּשׂוּמוֹ לַיָּם ׀ חֻקּוֹ וּמַיִם לֹא יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִיו בְּחוּקוֹ מוֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃

In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

30 וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן וָאֶהְיֶה שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים יוֹם ׀ יוֹם מְשַׂחֶקֶת לְפָנָיו בְּכׇל־עֵֽת׃

Then I am near Him, a workman, And I am a delight — day by day. Rejoicing before Him at all times,

31 מְשַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵל אַרְצוֹ וְשַׁעֲשֻׁעַי אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָֽם׃

Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, And my delights [are] with the sons of men.

32 וְעַתָּה בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִי וְאַשְׁרֵי דְּרָכַי יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, Yea, happy are they who keep my ways.

33 שִׁמְעוּ מוּסָר וַחֲכָמוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

34 אַשְֽׁרֵי אָדָם שֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי לִשְׁקֹד עַל־דַּלְתֹתַי יוֹם ׀ יוֹם לִשְׁמֹר מְזוּזֹת פְּתָחָֽי׃

O the happiness of the man hearkening to me, To watch at my doors day by day, To watch at the door-posts of my entrance.

35 כִּי מֹצְאִי (מצאי) [מָצָא] חַיִּים וַיָּפֶק רָצוֹן מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃

For whoso is finding me, hath found life, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.

36 וְֽחֹטְאִי חֹמֵס נַפְשׁוֹ כׇּל־מְשַׂנְאַי אָהֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃

And whoso is missing me, is wronging his soul, All hating me have loved death!