מִשְׁלֵי 23

1 כִּֽי־תֵ֭שֵׁב לִלְח֣וֹם אֶת־מוֹשֵׁ֑ל בִּ֥ין תָּ֝בִ֗ין אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר לְפָנֶֽיךָ׃

When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Thou considerest diligently that which [is] before thee,

2 וְשַׂמְתָּ֣ שַׂכִּ֣ין בְּלֹעֶ֑ךָ אִם־בַּ֖עַל נֶ֣פֶשׁ אָֽתָּה׃

And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.

3 אַל־תִּ֭תְאָיו לְמַטְעַמּוֹתָ֑יו וְ֝ה֗וּא לֶ֣חֶם כְּזָבִֽים׃

Have no desire to his dainties, seeing it [is] lying food.

4 אַל־תִּיגַ֥ע לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ חֲדָֽל׃

Labour not to make wealth, From thine own understanding cease, Dost thou cause thine eyes to fly upon it? Then it is not.

5 הֲתָ֤עִיף עֵינֶ֥יךָ בּ֗וֹ וְֽאֵ֫ינֶ֥נּוּ כִּ֤י עָשֹׂ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לּ֣וֹ כְנָפַ֑יִם כְּ֝נֶ֗שֶׁר יָע֥וּף הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ פ

For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.

6 אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

Eat not the bread of an evil eye, And have no desire to his dainties,

7 כִּ֤י ׀ כְּמוֹ־שָׁעַ֥ר בְּנַפְשׁ֗וֹ כֶּ֫ן־ה֥וּא אֱכֹ֣ל וּ֭שְׁתֵה יֹ֣אמַר לָ֑ךְ וְ֝לִבּ֗וֹ בַּל־עִמָּֽךְ׃

For as he hath thought in his soul, so [is] he, 'Eat and drink,' saith he to thee, And his heart [is] not with thee.

8 פִּֽתְּךָ־אָכַ֥לְתָּ תְקִיאֶ֑נָּה וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ הַנְּעִימִֽים׃

Thy morsel thou hast eaten thou dost vomit up, And hast marred thy words that [are] sweet.

9 בְּאָזְנֵ֣י כְ֭סִיל אַל־תְּדַבֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־יָ֝ב֗וּז לְשֵׂ֣כֶל מִלֶּֽיךָ׃

In the ears of a fool speak not, For he treadeth on the wisdom of thy words.

10 אַל־תַּ֭סֵּג גְּב֣וּל עוֹלָ֑ם וּבִשְׂדֵ֥י יְ֝תוֹמִ֗ים אַל־תָּבֹֽא׃

Remove not a border of olden times, And into fields of the fatherless enter not,

11 כִּֽי־גֹאֲלָ֥ם חָזָ֑ק הֽוּא־יָרִ֖יב אֶת־רִיבָ֣ם אִתָּֽךְ׃

For their Redeemer [is] strong, He doth plead their cause with thee.

12 הָבִ֣יאָה לַמּוּסָ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝אָזְנֶ֗ךָ לְאִמְרֵי־דָֽעַת׃

Bring in to instruction thy heart, And thine ear to sayings of knowledge.

13 אַל־תִּמְנַ֣ע מִנַּ֣עַר מוּסָ֑ר כִּֽי־תַכֶּ֥נּוּ בַ֝שֵּׁ֗בֶט לֹ֣א יָמֽוּת׃

Withhold not from a youth chastisement, When thou smitest him with a rod he dieth not.

14 אַ֭תָּה בַּשֵּׁ֣בֶט תַּכֶּ֑נּוּ וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מִשְּׁא֥וֹל תַּצִּֽיל׃ (Sheol h7585)

Thou with a rod smitest him, And his soul from Sheol thou deliverest. (Sheol h7585)

15 בְּ֭נִי אִם־חָכַ֣ם לִבֶּ֑ךָ יִשְׂמַ֖ח לִבִּ֣י גַם־אָֽנִי׃

My son, if thy heart hath been wise, My heart rejoiceth, even mine,

16 וְתַעְלֹ֥זְנָה כִלְיוֹתָ֑י בְּדַבֵּ֥ר שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ מֵישָׁרִֽים׃

And my reins exult when thy lips speak uprightly.

17 אַל־יְקַנֵּ֣א לִ֭בְּךָ בַּֽחַטָּאִ֑ים כִּ֥י אִם־בְּיִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.

18 כִּ֭י אִם־יֵ֣שׁ אַחֲרִ֑ית וְ֝תִקְוָתְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִכָּרֵֽת׃

For, is there a posterity? Then thy hope is not cut off.

19 שְׁמַע־אַתָּ֣ה בְנִ֣י וַחֲכָ֑ם וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

20 אַל־תְּהִ֥י בְסֹֽבְאֵי־יָ֑יִן בְּזֹלֲלֵ֖י בָשָׂ֣ר לָֽמוֹ׃

Be not thou among quaffers of wine, Among gluttonous ones of flesh,

21 כִּי־סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה׃

For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.

22 שְׁמַ֣ע לְ֭אָבִיךָ זֶ֣ה יְלָדֶ֑ךָ וְאַל־תָּ֝ב֗וּז כִּֽי־זָקְנָ֥ה אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she hath become old.

23 אֱמֶ֣ת קְ֭נֵה וְאַל־תִּמְכֹּ֑ר חָכְמָ֖ה וּמוּסָ֣ר וּבִינָֽה׃

Truth buy, and sell not, Wisdom, and instruction, and understanding,

24 גִּ֣יל יָ֭גִיל אֲבִ֣י צַדִּ֑יק וְיוֹלֵ֥ד חָ֝כָ֗ם יִשְׂמַח בּֽוֹ׃

The father of the righteous rejoiceth greatly, The begetter of the wise rejoiceth in him.

25 יִֽשְׂמַח־אָבִ֥יךָ וְאִמֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝תָגֵ֗ל יֽוֹלַדְתֶּֽךָ׃

Rejoice doth thy father and thy mother, Yea, she that bare thee is joyful.

26 תְּנָֽה־בְנִ֣י לִבְּךָ֣ לִ֑י וְ֝עֵינֶ֗יךָ דְּרָכַ֥י תִּצֹּֽרְנָה׃

Give, my son, thy heart to me, And let thine eyes watch my ways.

27 כִּֽי־שׁוּחָ֣ה עֲמֻקָּ֣ה זוֹנָ֑ה וּבְאֵ֥ר צָ֝רָ֗ה נָכְרִיָּֽה׃

For a harlot [is] a deep ditch, And a strange woman [is] a strait pit.

28 אַף־הִ֭יא כְּחֶ֣תֶף תֶּֽאֱרֹ֑ב וּ֝בוֹגְדִ֗ים בְּאָדָ֥ם תּוֹסִֽף׃

She also, as catching prey, lieth in wait, And the treacherous among men she increaseth.

29 לְמִ֨י א֥וֹי לְמִ֪י אֲב֡וֹי לְמִ֤י מִדְיָנִ֨ים לְמִ֥י שִׂ֗יחַ לְ֭מִי פְּצָעִ֣ים חִנָּ֑ם לְ֝מִ֗י חַכְלִל֥וּת עֵינָֽיִם׃

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? who hath plaint? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

30 לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים עַל־הַיָּ֑יִן לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים לַחְקֹ֥ר מִמְסָֽךְ׃

Those tarrying by the wine, Those going in to search out mixed wine.

31 אַל־תֵּ֥רֶא יַיִן֮ כִּ֪י יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם כִּֽי־יִתֵּ֣ן בַּכּ֣וֹס עֵינ֑וֹ יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

See not wine when it showeth itself red, When it giveth in the cup its colour, It goeth up and down through the upright.

32 אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃

Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.

33 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ יִרְא֣וּ זָר֑וֹת וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ יְדַבֵּ֥ר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

Thine eyes see strange women, And thy heart speaketh perverse things.

34 וְ֭הָיִיתָ כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב בְּלֶב־יָ֑ם וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב בְּרֹ֣אשׁ חִבֵּֽל׃

And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.

35 הִכּ֥וּנִי בַל־חָלִיתִי֮ הֲלָמ֗וּנִי בַּל־יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי מָתַ֥י אָקִ֑יץ א֝וֹסִ֗יף אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ עֽוֹד׃

'They smote me, I have not been sick, They beat me, I have not known. When I awake — I seek it yet again!'