מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

2 לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

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

3 לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4 לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

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

5 יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְיֹ֣וסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָבֹ֗ון תַּחְבֻּלֹ֥ות יִקְנֶֽה׃

that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel;

6 לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

to understand a proverb and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

7 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ פ

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

8 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching;

9 כִּ֤י ׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

10 בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ֮ לְכָ֪ה אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ נֶאֶרְבָ֥ה לְדָ֑ם נִצְפְּנָ֖ה לְנָקִ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lie in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.

12 נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאֹ֣ול חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּיֹ֣ורְדֵי בֹֽור׃ (Sheol h7585)

Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. (Sheol h7585)

13 כָּל־הֹ֣ון יָקָ֣ר נִמְצָ֑א נְמַלֵּ֖א בָתֵּ֣ינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder.

14 גֹּ֭ורָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתֹוכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

You shall cast your lot amongst us. We’ll all have one purse”—

15 בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

my son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,

16 כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִ֭נָּם מְזֹרָ֣ה הָרָ֑שֶׁת בְּ֝עֵינֵ֗י כָל־בַּ֥עַל כָּנָֽף׃

For the net is spread in vain in the sight of any bird;

18 וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

but these lay in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

19 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחֹות כָּל־בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ בָּ֑צַע אֶת־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלָ֣יו יִקָּֽח׃ פ

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

20 חָ֭כְמֹות בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות תִּתֵּ֥ן קֹולָֽהּ׃

Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

21 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיֹּ֗ות תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

22 עַד־מָתַ֣י ׀ פְּתָיִם֮ תְּֽאֵהֲב֫וּ פֶ֥תִי וְלֵצִ֗ים לָ֭צֹון חָמְד֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ לְֽתֹ֫וכַחְתִּ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה אַבִּ֣יעָה לָכֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑י אֹודִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

24 יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

25 וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תֹוכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

26 גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,

27 בְּבֹ֤א כְשַׁאֲוָה (כְשֹׁואָ֨ה ׀) פַּחְדְּכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭אֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָ֣ה יֶאֱתֶ֑ה בְּבֹ֥א עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם צָרָ֥ה וְצוּקָֽה׃

when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.

28 אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me,

29 תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of the LORD.

30 לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תֹּוכַחְתִּֽי׃

They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

31 וְֽ֭יֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑ם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

32 כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃ פ

But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

King Solomon in Old Age