מִשְׁלֵי 5

1 בְּ֭נִי לְחָכְמָתִ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לִ֝תְבוּנָתִ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, to my wisdom, attend, and, to mine understanding, incline thou thine ear:

2 לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמֹּ֑ות וְ֝דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥יךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

That thou mayest preserve discretion, —and, as for knowledge, that thy lips may guard it.

3 כִּ֤י נֹ֣פֶת תִּ֭טֹּפְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֣י זָרָ֑ה וְחָלָ֖ק מִשֶּׁ֣מֶן חִכָּֽהּ׃

For, with sweet droppings, drip the lips of her that is a stranger, and, smoother than oil, is her mouth;

4 וְֽ֭אַחֲרִיתָהּ מָרָ֣ה כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה חַ֝דָּ֗ה כְּחֶ֣רֶב פִּיֹּֽות׃

But, the latter end of her, is bitter as wormwood, sharp, as a two-edged sword!

5 רַ֭גְלֶיהָ יֹרְדֹ֣ות מָ֑וֶת שְׁ֝אֹ֗ול צְעָדֶ֥יהָ יִתְמֹֽכוּ׃ (Sheol h7585)

Her feet, are going down to death, —on hades, will her steps take firm hold. (Sheol h7585)

6 אֹ֣רַח חַ֭יִּים פֶּן־תְּפַלֵּ֑ס נָע֥וּ מַ֝עְגְּלֹתֶ֗יהָ לֹ֣א תֵדֽ͏ָע׃ פ

Lest, the path of life, she should ponder, her tracks have wandered she knoweth not [whither].

7 וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְאַל־תָּ֝ס֗וּרוּ מֵאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.

8 הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃

Keep far from her thy way, and do not go near the opening of her house:

9 פֶּן־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַאֲחֵרִ֣ים הֹודֶ֑ךָ וּ֝שְׁנֹתֶ֗יךָ לְאַכְזָרִֽי׃

Lest thou give, to other men, thy vigour, and thy years, to him that is cruel:

10 פֶּֽן־יִשְׂבְּע֣וּ זָרִ֣ים כֹּחֶ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲצָבֶ֗יךָ בְּבֵ֣ית נָכְרֽ͏ִי׃

Lest strange men, be well fed, by thy strength, and, thy toils, be in the house of the alien.

11 וְנָהַמְתָּ֥ בְאַחֲרִיתֶ֑ךָ בִּכְלֹ֥ות בְּ֝שָׂרְךָ֗ וּשְׁאֵרֶֽךָ׃

So shalt thou grieve in thy latter end, in the failing of thy flesh and of thy healthy condition;

12 וְֽאָמַרְתָּ֗ אֵ֭יךְ שָׂנֵ֣אתִי מוּסָ֑ר וְ֝תֹוכַ֗חַת נָאַ֥ץ לִבִּֽי׃

And thou shalt say—How I hated correction! and, reproof, my heart disdained;

13 וְֽלֹא־שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי בְּקֹ֣ול מֹורָ֑י וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י לֹא־הִטִּ֥יתִי אָזְנִֽי׃

Neither hearkened I to the voice of my teachers, nor, to my instructors, inclined I mine ear:

14 כִּ֭מְעַט הָיִ֣יתִי בְכָל־רָ֑ע בְּתֹ֖וךְ קָהָ֣ל וְעֵדָֽה׃

Soon was I in all evil, in the midst of convocation and assembly.

15 שְׁתֵה־מַ֥יִם מִבֹּורֶ֑ךָ וְ֝נֹזְלִ֗ים מִתֹּ֥וךְ בְּאֵרֶֽךָ׃

Drink thou water out of thine own cistern, and flowing streams out of the midst of thine own well.

16 יָפ֣וּצוּ מַעְיְנֹתֶ֣יךָ ח֑וּצָה בָּ֝רְחֹבֹ֗ות פַּלְגֵי־מָֽיִם׃

Let not thy fountains, flow over, abroad, in the streets, dividings of waters:

17 יִֽהְיוּ־לְךָ֥ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ וְאֵ֖ין לְזָרִ֣ים אִתָּֽךְ׃

Let them be for thyself, alone, and not for strangers with thee.

18 יְהִֽי־מְקֹורְךָ֥ בָר֑וּךְ וּ֝שְׂמַ֗ח מֵאֵ֥שֶׁת נְעוּרֶֽךָ׃

Let thy well-spring be blessed, —and get thy joy from the wife of thy youth: —

19 אַיֶּ֥לֶת אֲהָבִ֗ים וְֽיַעֲלַ֫ת־חֵ֥ן דַּ֭דֶּיהָ יְרַוֻּ֣ךָ בְכָל־עֵ֑ת בְּ֝אַהֲבָתָ֗הּ תִּשְׁגֶּ֥ה תָמִֽיד׃

A loving hind! a graceful doe! let, her bosom, content thee at all times, and, in her love, mayst thou stray evermore.

20 וְלָ֤מָּה תִשְׁגֶּ֣ה בְנִ֣י בְזָרָ֑ה וּ֝תְחַבֵּ֗ק חֵ֣ק נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

Wherefore, then, shouldst thou stray, my son, with a strange woman? or embrace the bosom of a woman unknown?

21 כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח ׀ עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס׃

For, before the eyes of Yahweh, are the ways of a man, —and, all his tracks, doth he consider:

22 עַֽוֹונֹותָ֗יו יִלְכְּדֻנֹ֥ו אֶת־הָרָשָׁ֑ע וּבְחַבְלֵ֥י חַ֝טָּאתֹ֗ו יִתָּמֵֽךְ׃

His own iniquities, shall entrap him with the lawless, and, by the cords of his own sin, shall he be seized.

23 ה֗וּא יָ֭מוּת בְּאֵ֣ין מוּסָ֑ר וּבְרֹ֖ב אִוַּלְתֹּ֣ו יִשְׁגֶּֽה׃ פ

He, shall die, for lack of discipline, and, by the abounding of his perversity, shall he be lost.