מִשְׁלֵי 23

1 כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְחֹ֣ום אֶת־מֹושֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

When you sit down to eat a meal with a (government official/king), think carefully about what (OR, who) is in front of you.

2 וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

[Even] if you (have a big appetite/want to eat a lot of food), restrain yourself.

3 אַל־תִּ֭תְאָו לְמַטְעַמֹּותָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

Do not want to eat [a lot of] his fine food, because he may be trying to trick you.

4 אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

Do not [cause yourself to become very tired by] working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,

5 הֲתָעוּף (הֲתָ֤עִיף) עֵינֶ֥יךָ בֹּ֗ו וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לֹּ֣ו כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר וְעָיֵף (יָע֥וּף) הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ פ

because as soon as you look [MTY] at [all the money that you have acquired], it will be gone; it will [disappear as if it] suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.

6 אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּתְאָו (תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו) לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

[If] someone who is stingy [invites you to a meal], do not eat [a lot of] his fine food,

7 כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמֹו־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשֹׁ֗ו כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבֹּ֗ו בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃

because he will be thinking about how much [the food cost that you are eating]. He [will] say to you, “Eat and drink all that you want!”, but that is not what he [will] really be thinking.

8 פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

[When you realize what he is really thinking, it will cause you to want to] vomit what you have eaten; and your kind words [telling him that you are enjoying the meal] will be wasted.

9 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

(Do not [waste time by]/It is useless) talking to foolish people; they will [only] despise the wise things that you say.

10 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עֹולָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תֹומִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃

Do not [steal someone’s property by] removing a boundary marker that has been there for a long time, and do not take for yourself the land that belongs to orphans,

11 כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

because Yahweh is strong, and he is [like] a relative that has the responsibility to defend them, he will [stand up in court and] argue for them and against you.

12 הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

Pay attention to what [your teachers] teach you, and try to learn from the wise things that they say.

13 אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

Do not refuse to discipline your children; if you punish/spank them, it will not cause them to die,

14 אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשֹׁ֗ו מִשְּׁאֹ֥ול תַּצִּֽיל׃ (Sheol h7585)

and it may save them from [going to] the place where dead people are. (Sheol h7585)

15 בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃

My son/child, if you [SYN] become wise, I [SYN] will be very happy.

16 וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיֹותָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

I [SYN] will rejoice when I hear you [SYN] say what is right/wise.

17 אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיֹּֽום׃

Do not envy sinful people; instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.

18 כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

[If you do that], you will be happy in the future, and [God] will certainly [do for you what you are] confidently expecting him to do.

19 שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

My son/child, listen carefully to me and become wise, and think about (all that you do/your behavior).

20 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמֹו׃

Do not associate with those who drink a lot of (wine/strong drink) or with those who (are gluttons/eat more than they should),

21 כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זֹולֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

because drunkards and gluttons will become poor; and if all that you do is eat and sleep, you will [soon] (be wearing rags/not have any money to buy clothes).

22 שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Pay attention to what your father tells you, and (do not neglect/take care of) [LIT] your mother when she is old.

23 אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

Try to know/learn what is wise, and get good instruction and understanding; and do not throw those things away.

24 גֹּול (גִּ֣יל) יָגֹול (יָ֭גִיל) אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק יֹולֵד (וְיֹולֵ֥ד) חָ֝כָ֗ם וְיִשְׂמַח־ (יִשְׂמַח)־בֹּֽו׃

Righteous [children] will cause their parents to be very happy; those whose children are wise are proud of them.

25 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֹֽולַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

[Do what will] cause your father to be glad and enable your mother [also] to be happy.

26 תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י תִּרְצֶנָה (תִּצֹּֽרְנָה)׃

My son, heed what I say to you, and allow what I do to be an example for you.

27 כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זֹונָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

Prostitutes and immoral women [DOU] are [like] [MET] a deep pit or a well [that you may fall into].

28 אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בֹוגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תֹּוסִֽף׃

They wait [for you] like robbers [SIM], and they cause many men to (be unfaithful to/have sex with women who are not) their wives.

29 לְמִ֨י אֹ֥וי לְמִ֪י אֲבֹ֡וי לְמִ֤י מִדֹונִים (מִדְיָנִ֨ים) ׀ לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

I will tell you [RHQ] what kind of people are always miserable and sad. I will tell you [RHQ] which people are always causing arguments/quarrels and who are always complaining. I will tell you [RHQ] who are injured in fights and whose eyes are always red/bloodshot.

30 לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

[It is] those who drink a lot of wine, who try drinking other kinds of strong drinks.

31 אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בַּכִּיס (בַּכֹּ֣וס) עֵינֹ֑ו יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

Do not look with pleasure at red wine that looks nice, and which sparkles when it is [poured out] into cups, and which tastes good as you drink it,

32 אַ֭חֲרִיתֹו כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

because the next morning [you will feel like] you have been bitten by a poisonous snake [DOU].

33 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָרֹ֑ות וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֹֽות׃

You [SYN] will [think that you are] seeing strange/weird things, and you [SYN] will not be able to think clearly or speak clearly.

34 וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

You will think you are in a ship that is tossing on the sea; you be like [SIM] someone who is trying to sleep when the ship is rolling from one side to the other.

35 הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ אֹ֝וסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֹֽוד׃

You will say, “[I think that] someone struck me, but he did not hurt me; he hit me, but I did not feel it. When will I (wake up/feel normal again) in order that I can drink some more wine?”