מִשְׁלֵי 3

1 בְּ֭נִי תּוֹרָתִ֣י אַל־תִּשְׁכָּ֑ח וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י יִצֹּ֥ר לִבֶּֽךָ׃

My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my precepts.

2 כִּ֤י אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים וּשְׁנ֣וֹת חַיִּ֑ים וְ֝שָׁל֗וֹם יוֹסִ֥יפוּ לָֽךְ׃

For they shall set before you length of days, and years of life, and peace.

3 חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֗ת אַֽל־יַעַ֫זְבֻ֥ךָ קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Let not mercy and truth abandon you: encircle them around your throat, and inscribe them on the tablets of your heart.

4 וּמְצָא־חֵ֖ן וְשֵֽׂכֶל־ט֑וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֖י אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאָדָֽם׃ פ

And so shall you discover grace and good discipline, in the sight of God and men.

5 בְּטַ֣ח אֶל־יְ֭הוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְאֶל־בִּֽ֝ינָתְךָ֗ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃

Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence.

6 בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ דָעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יְיַשֵּׁ֥ר אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃

In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.

7 אַל־תְּהִ֣י חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ יְרָ֥א אֶת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וְס֣וּר מֵרָֽע׃

Do not seem wise to yourself. Fear God, and withdraw from evil.

8 רִ֭פְאוּת תְּהִ֣י לְשָׁרֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝שִׁקּ֗וּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Certainly, it shall be health to your navel, and refreshment to your bones.

9 כַּבֵּ֣ד אֶת־יְ֭הוָה מֵהוֹנֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃

Honor the Lord with your substance, and give to him from the first of all your fruits,

10 וְיִמָּלְא֣וּ אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ שָׂבָ֑ע וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ יְקָבֶ֥יךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃ פ

and then your storehouses will be filled with abundance, and your presses shall overflow with wine.

11 מוּסַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה בְּנִ֣י אַל־תִּמְאָ֑ס וְאַל־תָּ֝קֹ֗ץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּֽוֹ׃

My son, do not discard the discipline of the Lord, and do not fall away when you are corrected by him.

12 כִּ֤י אֶ֥ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶאֱהַ֣ב יְהוָ֣ה יוֹכִ֑יחַ וּ֝כְאָ֗ב אֶת־בֵּ֥ן יִרְצֶֽה׃

For whomever the Lord loves, he corrects, and just as a father does with a son, he wins him over.

13 אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom and who advances to prudence.

14 כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝מֵחָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

Her acquisition is better than trading in silver, and her fruit is better than the first and purest gold.

15 יְקָ֣רָה הִ֭יא מִפְּנִינִ֑ים וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

She is more precious than all riches, and all that can be desired cannot prevail in comparison to her.

16 אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים בִּֽימִינָ֑הּ בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ עֹ֣שֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃

Length of days is at her right hand, and at her left hand is wealth and glory.

17 דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

Her ways are beautiful ways, and all her paths are peaceful.

18 עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ פ

She is a tree of life to those who overtake her, and he who shall take hold of her is blessed.

19 יְֽהוָ֗ה בְּחָכְמָ֥ה יָֽסַד־אָ֑רֶץ כּוֹנֵ֥ן שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃

The Lord founded the earth on wisdom. He secured the heavens with prudence.

20 בְּ֭דַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמ֣וֹת נִבְקָ֑עוּ וּ֝שְׁחָקִ֗ים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃

By his wisdom, the abyss erupted and the clouds increased with dew.

21 בְּ֭נִי אַל־יָלֻ֣זוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ נְצֹ֥ר תֻּ֝שִׁיָּ֗ה וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

My son, let not these things move away from your eyes. Preserve law as well as counsel.

22 וְיִֽהְי֣וּ חַיִּ֣ים לְנַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְ֝חֵ֗ן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

And so shall there be life in your soul and grace in your voice.

23 אָ֤ז תֵּלֵ֣ךְ לָבֶ֣טַח דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝רַגְלְךָ֗ לֹ֣א תִגּֽוֹף׃

Then you shall walk confidently in your way, and your feet will not stumble.

24 אִם־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ב לֹֽא־תִפְחָ֑ד וְ֝שָׁכַבְתָּ֗ וְֽעָרְבָ֥ה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

When you slumber, you shall not fear. When you rest, your sleep also will be sweet.

25 אַל־תִּ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד פִּתְאֹ֑ם וּמִשֹּׁאַ֥ת רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים כִּ֣י תָבֹֽא׃

Do not fear unexpected terror, nor the power of the impious falling upon you.

26 כִּֽי־יְ֭הוָה יִהְיֶ֣ה בְכִסְלֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁמַ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מִלָּֽכֶד׃

For the Lord will be at your side, and he will guard your feet, so that you may not be seized.

27 אַל־תִּמְנַע־ט֥וֹב מִבְּעָלָ֑יו בִּהְי֨וֹת לְאֵ֖ל יָדְךָ֣ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

Do not prevent him who is able from doing good. When you are able, do good yourself too.

28 אַל־תֹּ֘אמַ֤ר לְרֵֽעֲךָ֨ לֵ֣ךְ וָ֭שׁוּב וּמָחָ֥ר אֶתֵּ֗ן וְיֵ֣שׁ אִתָּֽךְ׃

Do not say to your friend: “Go away, and then return. Tomorrow I will give to you.” When you are able to do so, give in the present.

29 אַל־תַּחֲרֹ֣שׁ עַל־רֵעֲךָ֣ רָעָ֑ה וְהֽוּא־יוֹשֵׁ֖ב לָבֶ֣טַח אִתָּֽךְ׃

Do not undertake evil against your friend, even though he has trust in you.

30 אַל־תָּרִ֣יב עִם־אָדָ֣ם חִנָּ֑ם אִם־לֹ֖א גְמָלְךָ֣ רָעָֽה׃

Do not contend against a man without cause, even though he has done no evil to you.

31 אַל־תְּ֭קַנֵּא בְּאִ֣ישׁ חָמָ֑ס וְאַל־תִּ֝בְחַ֗ר בְּכָל־דְּרָכָֽיו׃

Do not rival an unjust man, and do not imitate his ways.

32 כִּ֤י תוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֣ה נָל֑וֹז וְֽאֶת־יְשָׁרִ֥ים סוֹדֽוֹ׃

For everyone who ridicules is an abomination to the Lord, and his communication is for the simple.

33 מְאֵרַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה בְּבֵ֣ית רָשָׁ֑ע וּנְוֵ֖ה צַדִּיקִ֣ים יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

Destitution in the house of the impious is from the Lord. But the habitations of the just shall be blessed.

34 אִם־לַלֵּצִ֥ים הֽוּא־יָלִ֑יץ וְ֝לַעֲנָוִ֗ים יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃

He will ridicule those who ridicule, but he will bestow grace upon the mild.

35 כָּ֭בוֹד חֲכָמִ֣ים יִנְחָ֑לוּ וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מֵרִ֥ים קָלֽוֹן׃ פ

The wise will possess glory. The exaltation of the foolish is disgraceful.