מִשְׁלֵי 24

1 אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאַנְשֵׁ֣י רָעָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּתְאָו (תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו) לִהְיֹ֥ות אִתָּֽם׃

Don't be jealous of evil people; don't long to spend time with them,

2 כִּי־שֹׁ֖ד יֶהְגֶּ֣ה לִבָּ֑ם וְ֝עָמָ֗ל שִׂפְתֵיהֶ֥ם תְּדַבֵּֽרְנָה׃

for they think up cruel plans and discuss how to cause trouble.

3 בְּ֭חָכְמָה יִבָּ֣נֶה בָּ֑יִת וּ֝בִתְבוּנָ֗ה יִתְכֹּונָֽן׃

A house is built by wisdom; its foundation is made secure through understanding.

4 וּ֭בְדַעַת חֲדָרִ֣ים יִמָּלְא֑וּ כָּל־הֹ֖ון יָקָ֣ר וְנָעִֽים׃

Its rooms are filled by knowledge with all kinds of valuable and beautiful objects.

5 גֶּֽבֶר־חָכָ֥ם בַּעֹ֑וז וְאִֽישׁ־דַּ֝֗עַת מְאַמֶּץ־כֹּֽחַ׃

If you have wisdom, you are strong; if you have knowledge, your power increases,

6 כִּ֣י בְ֭תַחְבֻּלֹות תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֣ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וּ֝תְשׁוּעָ֗ה בְּרֹ֣ב יֹועֵֽץ׃

for with wise guidance you can go to war; you will be victorious by having many good advisors.

7 רָאמֹ֣ות לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל חָכְמֹ֑ות בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ׃

Wisdom goes over the heads of stupid people; they have nothing to contribute when important matters are discussed.

8 מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ לֹ֝֗ו בַּֽעַל־מְזִמֹּ֥ות יִקְרָֽאוּ׃

Anyone who plans to do evil will be seen as a troublemaker.

9 זִמַּ֣ת אִוֶּ֣לֶת חַטָּ֑את וְתֹועֲבַ֖ת לְאָדָ֣ם לֵֽץ׃

Plans thought up by stupid people are sinful. Everyone hates those who are scornful of others.

10 הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּיֹ֥ום צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃

If you give up in times of trouble, it shows how weak you are.

11 הַ֭צֵּל לְקֻחִ֣ים לַמָּ֑וֶת וּמָטִ֥ים לַ֝הֶ֗רֶג אִם־תַּחְשֹֽׂוךְ׃

Rescue those who are being led away to be executed; save those who are stumbling on their way to be slaughtered.

12 כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲ‍ֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבֹּ֨ות ׀ הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃

If you say, “Look, we didn't know anything about this,” don't you think the God who judges your motives will see what's happening? He who watches over you knows, and he will pay people back for what they've done.

13 אֱכָל־בְּנִ֣י דְבַ֣שׁ כִּי־טֹ֑וב וְנֹ֥פֶת מָ֝תֹ֗וק עַל־חִכֶּֽךָ׃

My son, eating honey is good for you; the honeycomb tastes sweet.

14 כֵּ֤ן ׀ דְּעֶ֥ה חָכְמָ֗ה לְנַ֫פְשֶׁ֥ךָ אִם־מָ֭צָאתָ וְיֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃ פ

In the same way, you should know that wisdom is good for you; if you find it, there will be a future for you, and your hope will not be crushed.

15 אַל־תֶּאֱרֹ֣ב רָ֭שָׁע לִנְוֵ֣ה צַדִּ֑יק אַֽל־תְּשַׁדֵּ֥ד רִבְצֹֽו׃

Don't be like a criminal waiting to ambush the home of good people; don't attack the place where they live.

16 כִּ֤י שֶׁ֨בַע ׀ יִפֹּ֣ול צַדִּ֣יק וָקָ֑ם וּ֝רְשָׁעִ֗ים יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ בְרָעָֽה׃

Those who do right may fall down seven times, and still get up again; but the wicked are brought down by disaster.

17 בִּנְפֹ֣ל אֹויְבֶיךָ (אֹֽ֭ויִבְךָ) אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁלֹ֗ו אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Don't celebrate when your enemies fall; don't be glad when they trip up,

18 פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפֹּֽו׃

otherwise when the Lord sees it, he'll be unhappy with you and won't punish your enemies as he planned.

19 אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בָּרְשָׁעִֽים׃

Don't get all upset over the wicked, or be jealous of those who do wrong,

20 כִּ֤י ׀ לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֣ה אַחֲרִ֣ית לָרָ֑ע נֵ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים יִדְעָֽךְ׃

for evil people have no future—the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

21 יְרָֽא־אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּנִ֣י וָמֶ֑לֶךְ עִם־שֹׁ֝ונִ֗ים אַל־תִּתְעָרָֽב׃

My son, honor the Lord and the king, and don't join those who are rebellious,

22 כִּֽי־פִ֭תְאֹם יָק֣וּם אֵידָ֑ם וּפִ֥יד שְׁ֝נֵיהֶ֗ם מִ֣י יֹודֵֽעַ׃ ס

for disaster will suddenly fall on them. Who knows how the Lord and king will punish them?

23 גַּם־אֵ֥לֶּה לַֽחֲכָמִ֑ים הַֽכֵּר־פָּנִ֖ים בְּמִשְׁפָּ֣ט בַּל־טֹֽוב׃

These are more sayings of the wise: Showing favoritism when passing judgment is wrong.

24 אֹ֤מֵ֨ר ׀ לְרָשָׁע֮ צַדִּ֪יק אָ֥תָּה יִקְּבֻ֥הוּ עַמִּ֑ים יִזְעָמ֥וּהוּ לְאֻמִּֽים׃

Those who tell the guilty, “You're innocent,” will be cursed by the people and hated by the nation,

25 וְלַמֹּוכִיחִ֥ים יִנְעָ֑ם וַֽ֝עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם תָּבֹ֥וא בִרְכַּת־טֹֽוב׃

while those who convict the guilty will be appreciated, and will receive a rich blessing.

26 שְׂפָתַ֥יִם יִשָּׁ֑ק מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב דְּבָרִ֥ים נְכֹחִֽים׃

An honest answer is a kiss on the lips.

27 הָ֘כֵ֤ן בַּח֨וּץ ׀ מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָ וְעַתְּדָ֣הּ בַּשָּׂדֶ֣ה לָ֑ךְ אַ֝חַ֗ר וּבָנִ֥יתָ בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פ

Do the work you need to do outside first, then prepare and sow your fields, and only after that start building your house.

28 אַל־תְּהִ֣י עֵד־חִנָּ֣ם בְּרֵעֶ֑ךָ וַ֝הֲפִתִּ֗יתָ בִּשְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

Don't testify against your neighbors without having a good reason, and don't tell lies.

29 אַל־תֹּאמַ֗ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר עָֽשָׂה־לִ֭י כֵּ֤ן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לֹּ֑ו אָשִׁ֖יב לָאִ֣ישׁ כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃

Don't say to yourself, “I'm going to do to him what he did to me! I'll pay him back for what he's done!”

30 עַל־שְׂדֵ֣ה אִישׁ־עָצֵ֣ל עָבַ֑רְתִּי וְעַל־כֶּ֝֗רֶם אָדָ֥ם חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃

I walked past the field of a lazy man, past a vineyard of someone with no sense.

31 וְהִנֵּ֨ה עָ֘לָ֤ה כֻלֹּ֨ו ׀ קִמְּשֹׂנִ֗ים כָּסּ֣וּ פָנָ֣יו חֲרֻלִּ֑ים וְגֶ֖דֶר אֲבָנָ֣יו נֶהֱרָֽסָה׃

It was all overgrown with thorns, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall had fallen down.

32 וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה אָ֭נֹכִֽי אָשִׁ֣ית לִבִּ֑י רָ֝אִ֗יתִי לָקַ֥חְתִּי מוּסָֽר׃

As I looked I thought about it, and what I saw taught me a lesson:

33 מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נֹות מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמֹ֑ות מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

You may say, “Please, just a little more sleep, a little longer snooze, a little more folding of the arms to rest”—

34 וּבָֽא־מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵישֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹרֶ֗יךָ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

and poverty will attack you like a robber, destitution like an armed warrior.