מִשְׁלֵי 22

1 נִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם מֵעֹ֣שֶׁר רָ֑ב מִכֶּ֥סֶף וּ֝מִזָּהָ֗ב חֵ֣ן טֹֽוב׃

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 עָשִׁ֣יר וָרָ֣שׁ נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ עֹשֵׂ֖ה כֻלָּ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃

The rich and the poor meet together. Jehovah is the maker of them all.

3 עָר֤וּם ׀ רָאָ֣ה רָעָ֣ה וְיִסָּתֵר (וְנִסְתָּ֑ר) וּ֝פְתָיִ֗ים עָבְר֥וּ וְֽנֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ׃

A prudent man sees the evil, and hides himself, but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

4 עֵ֣קֶב עֲ֭נָוָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְכָבֹ֣וד וְחַיִּֽים׃

The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah is riches and honor and life.

5 צִנִּ֣ים פַּ֭חִים בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עִקֵּ֑שׁ שֹׁומֵ֥ר נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו יִרְחַ֥ק מֵהֶֽם׃

Thorns and snares are in the way of a perverse man. He who keeps his soul shall be far from them.

6 חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכֹּ֑ו גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 עָ֭שִׁיר בְּרָשִׁ֣ים יִמְשֹׁ֑ול וְעֶ֥בֶד לֹ֝וֶ֗ה לְאִ֣ישׁ מַלְוֶֽה׃

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 זֹורֵ֣עַ עַ֭וְלָה יִקְצֹור־ (יִקְצָר)־אָ֑וֶן וְשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָתֹ֣ו יִכְלֶֽה׃

He who sows iniquity shall reap calamity, and the rod of his wrath shall fail.

9 טֹֽוב־עַ֭יִן ה֣וּא יְבֹרָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־נָתַ֖ן מִלַּחְמֹ֣ו לַדָּֽל׃

He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

10 גָּ֣רֵֽשׁ לֵ֭ץ וְיֵצֵ֣א מָדֹ֑ון וְ֝יִשְׁבֹּ֗ת דִּ֣ין וְקָלֹֽון׃

Cast out the scoffer, and contention will go out, yea, strife and reproach will cease.

11 אֹהֵ֥ב טְהֹור־ (טְהָר)־לֵ֑ב חֵ֥ן שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו רֵעֵ֥הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃

He who loves pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips, the king will be his friend.

12 עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה נָ֣צְרוּ דָ֑עַת וַ֝יְסַלֵּ֗ף דִּבְרֵ֥י בֹגֵֽד׃

The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge, but he overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

13 אָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל אֲרִ֣י בַח֑וּץ בְּתֹ֥וךְ רְ֝חֹבֹ֗ות אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ׃

The sluggard says, There is a lion outside. I shall be slain in the streets.

14 שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקָּה פִּ֣י זָרֹ֑ות זְע֥וּם יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִפֹּול־ (יִפָּל)־שָֽׁם׃

The mouth of interloping women is a deep pit. He who is abhorred of Jehovah shall fall in it.

15 אִ֭וֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָ֣ה בְלֶב־נָ֑עַר שֵׁ֥בֶט מ֝וּסָ֗ר יַרְחִיקֶ֥נָּה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 עֹ֣שֵֽׁק דָּ֭ל לְהַרְבֹּ֣ות לֹ֑ו נֹתֵ֥ן לְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֹֽור׃

He who oppresses a poor man to his increase, and he who gives to a rich man, comes only to want.

17 הַ֥ט אָזְנְךָ֗ וּ֭שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֑ים וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ תָּשִׁ֥ית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart to my knowledge.

18 כִּֽי־נָ֭עִים כִּֽי־תִשְׁמְרֵ֣ם בְּבִטְנֶ֑ךָ יִכֹּ֥נוּ יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו עַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, if they be established together upon thy lips.

19 לִהְיֹ֣ות בַּ֭יהוָה מִבְטַחֶ֑ךָ הֹודַעְתִּ֖יךָ הַיֹּ֣ום אַף־אָֽתָּה׃

That thy trust may be in Jehovah, I have made them known to thee this day, even to thee.

20 הֲלֹ֤א כָתַ֣בְתִּי לְ֭ךָ שִׁלְשֹׁום (שָׁלִישִׁ֑ים) בְּמֹ֖ועֵצֹ֣ת וָדָֽעַת׃

Have I not written to thee excellent things of counsels and knowledge,

21 לְהֹודִֽיעֲךָ֗ קֹ֭שְׁטְ אִמְרֵ֣י אֱמֶ֑ת לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֲמָרִ֥ים אֱ֝מֶ֗ת לְשֹׁלְחֶֽיךָ׃ פ

to make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou may carry back words of truth to those who send thee?

22 אַֽל־תִּגְזָל־דָּ֭ל כִּ֣י דַל־ה֑וּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּ֖א עָנִ֣י בַשָּֽׁעַר׃

Do not rob a poor man, because he is poor, nor oppress an afflicted man in the gate.

23 כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יָרִ֣יב רִיבָ֑ם וְקָבַ֖ע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶ֣ם נָֽפֶשׁ׃

For Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil of life those who despoil them.

24 אַל־תִּ֭תְרַע אֶת־בַּ֣עַל אָ֑ף וְאֶת־אִ֥ישׁ חֵ֝מֹות לֹ֣א תָבֹֽוא׃

Make no friendship with a man who is given to anger, and thou shall not go with a wrathful man,

25 פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַ֥ף אָרְחָתֹו (אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו) וְלָקַחְתָּ֖ מֹוקֵ֣שׁ לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

lest thou learn this ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְתֹֽקְעֵי־כָ֑ף בַּ֝עֹרְבִ֗ים מַשָּׁאֹֽות׃

Be thou not one of those who strike hands, or of those who are sureties for debts.

27 אִם־אֵֽין־לְךָ֥ לְשַׁלֵּ֑ם לָ֥מָּה יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗ מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃

If thou have not wherewith to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עֹולָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבֹותֶֽיךָ׃

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29 חָזִ֡יתָ אִ֤ישׁ ׀ מָ֘הִ֤יר בִּמְלַאכְתֹּ֗ו לִֽפְנֵֽי־מְלָכִ֥ים יִתְיַצָּ֑ב בַּל־יִ֝תְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵ֥י חֲשֻׁכִּֽים׃ פ

See thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before obscure men.