מִשְׁלֵי 22

1 נִבְחָ֣ר שֵׁ֭ם מֵעֹ֣שֶׁר רָ֑ב מִכֶּ֥סֶף וּ֝מִזָּהָ֗ב חֵ֣ן טֽוֹב׃

A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2 עָשִׁ֣יר וָרָ֣שׁ נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ עֹשֵׂ֖ה כֻלָּ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃

The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.

3 עָר֤וּם ׀ רָאָ֣ה רָעָ֣ה וְנִסְתָּ֑ר וּ֝פְתָיִ֗ים עָבְר֥וּ וְֽנֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ׃

A prudent [man] seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4 עֵ֣קֶב עֲ֭נָוָה יִרְאַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה עֹ֖שֶׁר וְכָב֣וֹד וְחַיִּֽים׃

The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.

5 צִנִּ֣ים פַּ֭חִים בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עִקֵּ֑שׁ שׁוֹמֵ֥ר נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹ יִרְחַ֥ק מֵהֶֽם׃

Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

6 חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

Train up the child according to the tenor of his way, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 עָ֭שִׁיר בְּרָשִׁ֣ים יִמְשׁ֑וֹל וְעֶ֥בֶד לֹ֝וֶ֗ה לְאִ֣ישׁ מַלְוֶֽה׃

The rich ruleth over the poor; and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8 זוֹרֵ֣עַ עַ֭וְלָה יִקְצָר אָ֑וֶן וְשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָת֣וֹ יִכְלֶֽה׃

He that soweth unrighteousness shall reap iniquity, and the rod of his wrath shall have an end.

9 טֽוֹב־עַ֭יִן ה֣וּא יְבֹרָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־נָתַ֖ן מִלַּחְמ֣וֹ לַדָּֽל׃

He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10 גָּ֣רֵֽשׁ לֵ֭ץ וְיֵצֵ֣א מָד֑וֹן וְ֝יִשְׁבֹּ֗ת דִּ֣ין וְקָלֽוֹן׃

Cast out the scorner, and contention will depart, and strife and ignominy shall cease.

11 אֹהֵ֥ב טְהָר לֵ֑ב חֵ֥ן שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו רֵעֵ֥הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃

He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.

12 עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה נָ֣צְרוּ דָ֑עַת וַ֝יְסַלֵּ֗ף דִּבְרֵ֥י בֹגֵֽד׃

The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge; but he overthroweth the words of the unfaithful.

13 אָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל אֲרִ֣י בַח֑וּץ בְּת֥וֹךְ רְ֝חֹב֗וֹת אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ׃

The sluggard saith, There is a lion without, I shall be killed in the streets!

14 שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲ֭מֻקָּה פִּ֣י זָר֑וֹת זְע֥וּם יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִפָּל שָֽׁם׃

The mouth of strange women is a deep ditch: he with whom Jehovah is displeased shall fall therein.

15 אִ֭וֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָ֣ה בְלֶב־נָ֑עַר שֵׁ֥בֶט מ֝וּסָ֗ר יַרְחִיקֶ֥נָּה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

Folly is bound in the heart of a child; the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16 עֹ֣שֵֽׁק דָּ֭ל לְהַרְבּ֣וֹת ל֑וֹ נֹתֵ֥ן לְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

He that oppresseth the poor, it is to enrich him; he that giveth to the rich, [bringeth] only to want.

17 הַ֥ט אָזְנְךָ֗ וּ֭שְׁמַע דִּבְרֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֑ים וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ תָּשִׁ֥ית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃

Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart unto my knowledge.

18 כִּֽי־נָ֭עִים כִּֽי־תִשְׁמְרֵ֣ם בְּבִטְנֶ֑ךָ יִכֹּ֥נוּ יַ֝חְדָּ֗ו עַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃

For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee: they shall be together fitted on thy lips.

19 לִהְי֣וֹת בַּ֭יהוָה מִבְטַחֶ֑ךָ הוֹדַעְתִּ֖יךָ הַיּ֣וֹם אַף־אָֽתָּה׃

That thy confidence may be in Jehovah, I have made [them] known to thee this day, even to thee.

20 הֲלֹ֤א כָתַ֣בְתִּי לְ֭ךָ שָׁלִישִׁ֑ים בְּמ֖וֹעֵצֹ֣ת וָדָֽעַת׃

Have not I written to thee excellent things, in counsels and knowledge,

21 לְהוֹדִֽיעֲךָ֗ קֹ֭שְׁטְ אִמְרֵ֣י אֱמֶ֑ת לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֲמָרִ֥ים אֱ֝מֶ֗ת לְשֹׁלְחֶֽיךָ׃ פ

that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

22 אַֽל־תִּגְזָל־דָּ֭ל כִּ֣י דַל־ה֑וּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּ֖א עָנִ֣י בַשָּֽׁעַר׃

Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate;

23 כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יָרִ֣יב רִיבָ֑ם וְקָבַ֖ע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶ֣ם נָֽפֶשׁ׃

for Jehovah will plead their cause, and despoil the soul of those that despoil them.

24 אַל־תִּ֭תְרַע אֶת־בַּ֣עַל אָ֑ף וְאֶת־אִ֥ישׁ חֵ֝מוֹת לֹ֣א תָבֽוֹא׃

Make no friendship with an angry man, and go not with a furious man;

25 פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַ֥ף אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו וְלָקַחְתָּ֖ מוֹקֵ֣שׁ לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

lest thou learn his paths, and get a snare to thy soul.

26 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְתֹֽקְעֵי־כָ֑ף בַּ֝עֹרְבִ֗ים מַשָּׁאֽוֹת׃

Be not of them that strike hands, of them that are sureties for debts:

27 אִם־אֵֽין־לְךָ֥ לְשַׁלֵּ֑ם לָ֥מָּה יִקַּ֥ח מִ֝שְׁכָּבְךָ֗ מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃

if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.

29 חָזִ֡יתָ אִ֤ישׁ ׀ מָ֘הִ֤יר בִּמְלַאכְתּ֗וֹ לִֽפְנֵֽי־מְלָכִ֥ים יִתְיַצָּ֑ב בַּל־יִ֝תְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵ֥י חֲשֻׁכִּֽים׃ פ

Hast thou seen a man diligent in his work? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before the mean.