מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃

Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

2 כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.

3 כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃

For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.

4 וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃

And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

5 קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.

7 רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃

The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרֹומְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.

9 תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”

10 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנֹ֣ות חַיִּֽים׃

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.

11 בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.

12 בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃

In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.

13 הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.

14 בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃

Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.

15 פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בֹּ֑ו שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֹֽור׃

Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

16 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה שְׁ֝נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א יִכְשֹׁולוּ (יַכְשִֽׁילוּ)׃

For they do not sleep if they do no evil, And their sleep has been taken away violently, If they do not cause [some] to stumble.

17 כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.

18 וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּאֹ֣ור נֹ֑גַהּ הֹולֵ֥ךְ וָ֝אֹ֗ור עַד־נְכֹ֥ון הַיֹּֽום׃

And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,

19 דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פ

The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

20 בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,

21 אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝מְרֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣וךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרֹ֥ו מַרְפֵּֽא׃

For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.

23 מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תֹּוצְאֹ֥ות חַיִּֽים׃

Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.

24 הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,

25 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.

26 פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃

Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!