מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִ שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 לָדַעַת חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָֽה׃

to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵשָׁרִֽים׃

to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity;

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עׇרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels:

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.

7 יִרְאַת יְהֹוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חׇכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאוֹל חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיוֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ (Sheol h7585)

let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)

13 כׇּל־הוֹן יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 גּוֹרָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתוֹכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse:

15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

— my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path;

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפׇּךְ־דָּֽם׃

for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כׇּל־בַּעַל כָּנָֽף׃

For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings.

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 כֵּן אׇרְחוֹת כׇּל־בֹּצֵֽעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּֽח׃

So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.

20 חׇכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways;

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words:

22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּֽאֵהֲבוּ ־ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצוֹן חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded;

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כׇל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh;

27 בְּבֹא (כשאוה) [כְשׁוֹאָה ׀] פַּחְדְּכֶם וְֽאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָֽה׃

when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you:

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

— then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me.

29 תַּחַת כִּֽי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָֽרוּ׃

Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah;

30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כׇּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof:

31 וְֽיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכׇּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.

King Solomon in Old Age