מִשְׁלֵי 6

1 בְּ֭נִי אִם־עָרַ֣בְתָּ לְרֵעֶ֑ךָ תָּקַ֖עְתָּ לַזָּ֣ר כַּפֶּֽיךָ׃

[My] son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 נֹוקַ֥שְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי־פִ֑יךָ נִ֝לְכַּ֗דְתָּ בְּאִמְרֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 עֲשֵׂ֨ה זֹ֥את אֵפֹ֪וא ׀ בְּנִ֡י וְֽהִנָּצֵ֗ל כִּ֘י בָ֤אתָ בְכַף־רֵעֶ֑ךָ לֵ֥ךְ הִ֝תְרַפֵּ֗ס וּרְהַ֥ב רֵעֶֽיךָ׃

[My] son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

4 אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן שֵׁנָ֣ה לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃

Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

5 הִ֭נָּצֵל כִּצְבִ֣י מִיָּ֑ד וּ֝כְצִפֹּ֗ור מִיַּ֥ד יָקֽוּשׁ׃ פ

that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 לֵֽךְ־אֶל־נְמָלָ֥ה עָצֵ֑ל רְאֵ֖ה דְרָכֶ֣יהָ וַחֲכָֽם׃

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 תָּכִ֣ין בַּקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָ֑הּ אָגְרָ֥ה בַ֝קָּצִ֗יר מַאֲכָלָֽהּ׃

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 עַד־מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל ׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

10 מְעַ֣ט שֵׁ֭נֹות מְעַ֣ט תְּנוּמֹ֑ות מְעַ֓ט ׀ חִבֻּ֖ק יָדַ֣יִם לִשְׁכָּֽב׃

Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short [time], and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

11 וּבָֽא־כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְ רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָ וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗ כְּאִ֣ישׁ מָגֵֽן׃ פ

Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 אָדָ֣ם בְּ֭לִיַּעַל אִ֣ישׁ אָ֑וֶן הֹ֝ולֵ֗ךְ עִקְּשׁ֥וּת פֶּֽה׃

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 קֹרֵ֣ץ בְּ֭עֵינָיו מֹלֵ֣ל בְּרַגְלָ֑ו מֹ֝רֶ֗ה בְּאֶצְבְּעֹתָֽיו׃

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 תַּֽהְפֻּכֹ֨ות ׀ בְּלִבֹּ֗ו חֹרֵ֣שׁ רָ֣ע בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת מְדָנִים (מִדְיָנִ֥ים) יְשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 עַל־כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָבֹ֣וא אֵידֹ֑ו פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃ פ

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 שֶׁשׁ־הֵ֭נָּה שָׂנֵ֣א יְהוָ֑ה וְ֝שֶׁ֗בַע תֹּועֲבֹות (תֹּועֲבַ֥ת) נַפְשֹֽׁו׃

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 עֵינַ֣יִם רָ֭מֹות לְשֹׁ֣ון שָׁ֑קֶר וְ֝יָדַ֗יִם שֹׁפְכֹ֥ות דָּם־נָקִֽי׃

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 לֵ֗ב חֹ֭רֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ות אָ֑וֶן רַגְלַ֥יִם מְ֝מַהֲרֹ֗ות לָר֥וּץ לָֽרָעָה׃

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].

19 יָפִ֣יחַ כְּ֭זָבִים עֵ֣ד שָׁ֑קֶר וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ מְ֝דָנִ֗ים בֵּ֣ין אַחִֽים׃ פ

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 נְצֹ֣ר בְּ֭נִי מִצְוַ֣ת אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תֹּורַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

[My] son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:

21 קָשְׁרֵ֣ם עַל־לִבְּךָ֣ תָמִ֑יד עָ֝נְדֵ֗ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.

22 בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ֨ ׀ תַּנְחֶ֬ה אֹתָ֗ךְ בְּֽ֭שָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר עָלֶ֑יךָ וַ֝הֲקִיצֹ֗ותָ הִ֣יא תְשִׂיחֶֽךָ׃

Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

23 כִּ֤י נֵ֣ר מִ֭צְוָה וְתֹ֣ורָה אֹ֑ור וְדֶ֥רֶךְ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תֹּוכְחֹ֥ות מוּסָֽר׃

For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאֵ֣שֶׁת רָ֑ע מֵֽ֝חֶלְקַ֗ת לָשֹׁ֥ון נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 אַל־תַּחְמֹ֣ד יָ֭פְיָהּ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝קָּֽחֲךָ֗ בְּעַפְעַפֶּֽיהָ׃

Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 כִּ֤י בְעַד־אִשָּׁ֥ה זֹונָ֗ה עַֽד־כִּכַּ֫ר לָ֥חֶם וְאֵ֥שֶׁת אִ֑ישׁ נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְקָרָ֣ה תָצֽוּד׃ פ

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 הֲיַחְתֶּ֤ה אִ֓ישׁ אֵ֬שׁ בְּחֵיקֹ֑ו וּ֝בְגָדָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִשָּׂרַֽפְנָה׃

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 אִם־יְהַלֵּ֣ךְ אִ֭ישׁ עַל־הַגֶּחָלִ֑ים וְ֝רַגְלָ֗יו לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶֽינָה׃

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 כֵּ֗ן הַ֭בָּא אֶל־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹ֥א יִ֝נָּקֶ֗ה כָּֽל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּֽהּ׃

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 לֹא־יָב֣וּזוּ לַ֭גַּנָּב כִּ֣י יִגְנֹ֑וב לְמַלֵּ֥א נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו כִּ֣י יִרְעָֽב׃

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 וְ֭נִמְצָא יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם שִׁבְעָתָ֑יִם אֶת־כָּל־הֹ֖ון בֵּיתֹ֣ו יִתֵּֽן׃

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 נֹאֵ֣ף אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲסַר־לֵ֑ב מַֽשְׁחִ֥ית נַ֝פְשֹׁ֗ו ה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂנָּה׃

But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 נֶֽגַע־וְקָלֹ֥ון יִמְצָ֑א וְ֝חֶרְפָּתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א תִמָּחֶֽה׃

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 כִּֽי־קִנְאָ֥ה חֲמַת־גָּ֑בֶר וְלֹֽא־יַ֝חְמֹ֗ול בְּיֹ֣ום נָקָֽם׃

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 לֹא־יִ֭שָּׂא פְּנֵ֣י כָל־כֹּ֑פֶר וְלֹֽא־יֹ֝אבֶ֗ה כִּ֣י תַרְבֶּה־שֹֽׁחַד׃ פ

He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.