מִשְׁלֵי 14

1 חַכְמֹ֣ות נָ֭שִׁים בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝אִוֶּ֗לֶת בְּיָדֶ֥יהָ תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ׃

Every wise woman has built her house, And the foolish breaks it down with her hands.

2 הֹולֵ֣ךְ בְּ֭יָשְׁרֹו יְרֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וּנְלֹ֖וז דְּרָכָ֣יו בֹּוזֵֽהוּ׃

Whoever is walking in his uprightness is fearing YHWH, And the perverted is despising Him [in] his ways.

3 בְּֽפִי־אֱ֭וִיל חֹ֣טֶר גַּאֲוָ֑ה וְשִׂפְתֵ֥י חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים תִּשְׁמוּרֵֽם׃

A rod of pride [is] in the mouth of a fool, And the lips of the wise preserve them.

4 בְּאֵ֣ין אֲ֭לָפִים אֵב֣וּס בָּ֑ר וְרָב־תְּ֝בוּאֹ֗ות בְּכֹ֣חַ שֹֽׁור׃

Without oxen a stall [is] clean, And great [is] the increase by the power of the ox.

5 עֵ֣ד אֱ֭מוּנִים לֹ֣א יְכַזֵּ֑ב וְיָפִ֥יחַ כְּ֝זָבִ֗ים עֵ֣ד שָֽׁקֶר׃

A faithful witness does not lie, And a false witness breathes out lies.

6 בִּקֶּשׁ־לֵ֣ץ חָכְמָ֣ה וָאָ֑יִן וְדַ֖עַת לְנָבֹ֣ון נָקָֽל׃

A scorner has sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge [is] easy to the intelligent.

7 לֵ֣ךְ מִ֭נֶּגֶד לְאִ֣ישׁ כְּסִ֑יל וּבַל־יָ֝דַ֗עְתָּ שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃

Go from before a foolish man, Or you have not known the lips of knowledge.

8 חָכְמַ֣ת עָ֭רוּם הָבִ֣ין דַּרְכֹּ֑ו וְאִוֶּ֖לֶת כְּסִילִ֣ים מִרְמָֽה׃

The wisdom of the prudent [is] to understand his way, And the folly of fools [is] deceit.

9 אֱ֭וִלִים יָלִ֣יץ אָשָׁ֑ם וּבֵ֖ין יְשָׁרִ֣ים רָצֹֽון׃

Fools mock at a guilt-offering, And among the upright—a pleasing thing.

10 לֵ֗ב יֹ֭ודֵעַ מָרַּ֣ת נַפְשֹׁ֑ו וּ֝בְשִׂמְחָתֹ֗ו לֹא־יִתְעָ֥רַב זָֽר׃

The heart knows its own bitterness, And a stranger does not interfere with its joy.

11 בֵּ֣ית רְ֭שָׁעִים יִשָּׁמֵ֑ד וְאֹ֖הֶל יְשָׁרִ֣ים יַפְרִֽיחַ׃

The house of the wicked is destroyed, And the tent of the upright flourishes.

12 יֵ֤שׁ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יָ֭שָׁר לִפְנֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְ֝אַחֲרִיתָ֗הּ דַּרְכֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

There is a way—right before a man, And its latter end [are] ways of death.

13 גַּם־בִּשְׂחֹ֥וק יִכְאַב־לֵ֑ב וְאַחֲרִיתָ֖הּ שִׂמְחָ֣ה תוּגָֽה׃

Even in laughter is the heart pained, And the latter end of joy [is] affliction.

14 מִדְּרָכָ֣יו יִ֭שְׂבַּע ס֣וּג לֵ֑ב וּ֝מֵעָלָ֗יו אִ֣ישׁ טֹֽוב׃

The backslider in heart is filled from his ways, And a good man—from his fruits.

15 פֶּ֭תִי יַאֲמִ֣ין לְכָל־דָּבָ֑ר וְ֝עָר֗וּם יָבִ֥ין לַאֲשֻׁרֹֽו׃

The simple gives credence to everything, And the prudent attends to his step.

16 חָכָ֣ם יָ֭רֵא וְסָ֣ר מֵרָ֑ע וּ֝כְסִ֗יל מִתְעַבֵּ֥ר וּבֹוטֵֽחַ׃

The wise is fearing and turning from evil, And a fool is transgressing and is confident.

17 קְֽצַר־אַ֭פַּיִם יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה אִוֶּ֑לֶת וְאִ֥ישׁ מְ֝זִמֹּ֗ות יִשָּׂנֵֽא׃

Whoever is short of temper does folly, And a man of wicked schemes is hated.

18 נָחֲל֣וּ פְתָאיִ֣ם אִוֶּ֑לֶת וַֽ֝עֲרוּמִ֗ים יַכְתִּ֥רוּ דָֽעַת׃

The simple have inherited folly, And the prudent are crowned [with] knowledge.

19 שַׁח֣וּ רָ֭עִים לִפְנֵ֣י טֹובִ֑ים וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים עַֽל־שַׁעֲרֵ֥י צַדִּֽיק׃

The evil have bowed down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 גַּם־לְ֭רֵעֵהוּ יִשָּׂ֣נֵא רָ֑שׁ וְאֹהֲבֵ֖י עָשִׁ֣יר רַבִּֽים׃

The poor is hated even of his neighbor, And those loving the rich [are] many.

21 בָּז־לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ חֹוטֵ֑א וּמְחֹונֵ֖ן עֲנָיִים (עֲנָוִ֣ים) אַשְׁרָֽיו׃

Whoever is despising his neighbor sins, Whoever is favoring the humble, O his blessedness.

22 הֲ‍ֽלֹוא־יִ֭תְעוּ חֹ֣רְשֵׁי רָ֑ע וְחֶ֥סֶד וֶ֝אֱמֶ֗ת חֹ֣רְשֵׁי טֹֽוב׃

Do they who are devising evil not err? And kindness and truth [are] to those devising good,

23 בְּכָל־עֶ֭צֶב יִהְיֶ֣ה מֹותָ֑ר וּדְבַר־שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹֽור׃

In all labor there is advantage, And a thing of the lips [is] only to want.

24 עֲטֶ֣רֶת חֲכָמִ֣ים עָשְׁרָ֑ם אִוֶּ֖לֶת כְּסִילִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

The crown of the wise is their wealth, The folly of fools [is] folly.

25 מַצִּ֣יל נְ֭פָשֹׁות עֵ֣ד אֱמֶ֑ת וְיָפִ֖חַ כְּזָבִ֣ים מִרְמָֽה׃

A true witness is delivering souls, And a deceitful one breathes out lies.

26 בְּיִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה מִבְטַח־עֹ֑ז וּ֝לְבָנָ֗יו יִהְיֶ֥ה מַחְסֶֽה׃

Strong confidence [is] in the fear of YHWH, And there is a refuge to His sons.

27 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה מְקֹ֣ור חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃

The fear of YHWH [is] a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.

28 בְּרָב־עָ֥ם הַדְרַת־מֶ֑לֶךְ וּבְאֶ֥פֶס לְ֝אֹ֗ם מְחִתַּ֥ת רָזֹֽון׃

The honor of a king [is] in the multitude of a people, And the ruin of a prince in lack of people.

29 אֶ֣רֶךְ אַ֭פַּיִם רַב־תְּבוּנָ֑ה וּקְצַר־ר֝֗וּחַ מֵרִ֥ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

Whoever is slow to anger [is] of great understanding, And whoever is short in temper is exalting folly.

30 חַיֵּ֣י בְ֭שָׂרִים לֵ֣ב מַרְפֵּ֑א וּרְקַ֖ב עֲצָמֹ֣ות קִנְאָֽה׃

A healed heart [is] life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones [is] envy.

31 עֹ֣שֵֽׁק־דָּ֭ל חֵרֵ֣ף עֹשֵׂ֑הוּ וּ֝מְכַבְּדֹ֗ו חֹנֵ֥ן אֶבְיֹֽון׃

An oppressor of the poor reproaches his Maker, And whoever is honoring Him Is favoring the needy.

32 בְּֽ֭רָעָתֹו יִדָּחֶ֣ה רָשָׁ֑ע וְחֹסֶ֖ה בְמֹותֹ֣ו צַדּֽ͏ִיק׃

The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, And the righteous [is] trustful in his death.

33 בְּלֵ֣ב נָ֭בֹון תָּנ֣וּחַ חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְקֶ֥רֶב כְּ֝סִילִ֗ים תִּוָּדֵֽעַ׃

Wisdom rests in the heart of the intelligent. And it is known in the midst of fools.

34 צְדָקָ֥ה תְרֹֽומֵֽם־גֹּ֑וי וְחֶ֖סֶד לְאֻמִּ֣ים חַטָּֽאת׃

Righteousness exalts a nation, And the righteousness of peoples [is] a sin-offering.

35 רְֽצֹון־מֶ֭לֶךְ לְעֶ֣בֶד מַשְׂכִּ֑יל וְ֝עֶבְרָתֹ֗ו תִּהְיֶ֥ה מֵבִֽישׁ׃

The favor of a king [is] to a wise servant, And one causing shame is an object of his wrath!