< מִשְׁלֵי 5 >
בְּ֭נִי לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ | 1 |
My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,
לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמֹּ֑ות וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ | 2 |
that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.
כִּ֤י נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃ | 3 |
For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,
וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיֹּֽות׃ | 4 |
but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.
רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְדֹ֣ות מָ֑וֶת שְׁ֝אֹ֗ול צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ (Sheol ) | 5 |
Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol (Sheol ).
אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס נָע֥וּ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ לֹ֣א תֵדֽ͏ָע׃ פ | 6 |
She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she does not know it.
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃ | 7 |
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Do not depart from the words of my mouth.
הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃ | 8 |
Remove your way far from her. Do not come near the door of her house,
פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הֹודֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃ | 9 |
lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ זָרִ֣ים כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרֽ͏ִי׃ | 10 |
lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house.
וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ בִּכְלֹ֥ות בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃ | 11 |
You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר וְ֝תֹוכַ֗חַת נָאַ֥ץ לִבִּֽי׃ | 12 |
and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof.
וְֽלֹא־שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי בְּקֹ֣ול מֹורָ֑י וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י לֹא־הִטִּ֥יתִי אָזְנִֽי׃ | 13 |
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־רָ֑ע בְּתֹ֖וךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃ | 14 |
I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”
שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם מִבֹּורֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתֹּ֥וךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃ | 15 |
Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.
יָפ֣וּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ ח֑וּצָה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃ | 16 |
Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?
יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין לְזָרִ֣ים אִתָּֽךְ׃ | 17 |
Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.
יְהִֽי־מְקֹורְךָ֥ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃ | 18 |
Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
אַיֶּ֥לֶת אֲהָבִ֗ים וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־חֵ֥ן דַּ֭דֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ בְכָל־עֵ֑ת בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃ | 19 |
A loving doe and a graceful deer— let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ | 20 |
For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?
כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח ׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס׃ | 21 |
For the ways of man are before the LORD’s eyes. He examines all his paths.
עַֽוֹונֹותָ֗יו יִלְכְּדֻנֹ֥ו אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י חַ֝טָּאתֹ֗ו יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃ | 22 |
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.
ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתֹּ֣ו יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃ פ | 23 |
He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.