מִשְׁלֵי 31
| דִּ֭בְרֵי לְמוּאֵ֣ל מֶ֑לֶךְ מַ֝שָּׂ֗א אֲֽשֶׁר־יִסְּרַ֥תּוּ אִמּֽוֹ׃ | 1 |
The words of King Lemuel—an instruction his mother taught him.
| מַה־בְּ֭רִי וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃ | 2 |
What, my son? What is it, son of my womb? What do you want, son of my vows?
| אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַנָּשִׁ֣ים חֵילֶ֑ךָ וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ לַֽמְח֥וֹת מְלָכִֽין׃ | 3 |
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to those who destroy kings.
| אַ֤ל לַֽמְלָכִ֨ים ׀ לְֽמוֹאֵ֗ל אַ֣ל לַֽמְלָכִ֣ים שְׁתוֹ־יָ֑יִן וּ֝לְרוֹזְנִ֗ים אֵ֣י שֵׁכָֽר׃ | 4 |
It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
| פֶּן־יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח מְחֻקָּ֑ק וִֽ֝ישַׁנֶּה דִּ֣ין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ | 5 |
because when they drink they forget what has been decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
| תְּנוּ־שֵׁכָ֣ר לְאוֹבֵ֑ד וְ֝יַיִן לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃ | 6 |
Give strong drink to a person who is perishing and wine to those in bitter distress.
| יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח רִישׁ֑וֹ וַ֝עֲמָל֗וֹ לֹ֣א יִזְכָּר־עֽוֹד׃ | 7 |
He will drink and he will forget his poverty and he will not remember his trouble.
| פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֽוֹף׃ | 8 |
Speak for those who cannot speak, for the causes of all who are perishing.
| פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ שְׁפָט־צֶ֑דֶק וְ֝דִ֗ין עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ פ | 9 |
Speak out and judge by the measure of what is right and plead the cause of poor and needy people.
| אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ׃ | 10 |
Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far more than jewels.
| בָּ֣טַח בָּ֭הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר׃ | 11 |
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will never be poor.
| גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ ט֣וֹב וְלֹא־רָ֑ע כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיה׃ | 12 |
She does good things for him and not evil all the days of her life.
| דָּ֭רְשָׁה צֶ֣מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַ֝תַּ֗עַשׂ בְּחֵ֣פֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃ | 13 |
She selects wool and flax, and works with the delight of her hands.
| הָ֭יְתָה כָּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת סוֹחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃ | 14 |
She is like the merchant ships; she brings her food from far away.
| וַתָּ֤קָם ׀ בְּע֬וֹד לַ֗יְלָה וַתִּתֵּ֣ן טֶ֣רֶף לְבֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝חֹ֗ק לְנַעֲרֹתֶֽיהָ׃ | 15 |
She rises while it is night and gives food to her household, and she distributes the work for her female servants.
| זָמְמָ֣ה שָׂ֭דֶה וַתִּקָּחֵ֑הוּ מִפְּרִ֥י כַ֝פֶּ֗יהָ נָ֣טְעָה כָּֽרֶם׃ | 16 |
She considers a field and buys it, with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
| חָֽגְרָ֣ה בְע֣וֹז מָתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ | 17 |
She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.
| טָ֭עֲמָה כִּי־ט֣וֹב סַחְרָ֑הּ לֹֽא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֵרָֽהּ׃ | 18 |
She perceives what will make a good profit for her; all night long her lamp is not extinguished.
| יָ֭דֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָ֣ה בַכִּישׁ֑וֹר וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ תָּ֣מְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃ | 19 |
She puts her hands on the spindle, and she holds the twisting thread.
| כַּ֭פָּהּ פָּרְשָׂ֣ה לֶעָנִ֑י וְ֝יָדֶ֗יהָ שִׁלְּחָ֥ה לָֽאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ | 20 |
She reaches out with her hand to poor people; she reaches out with her hands to needy people.
| לֹא־תִירָ֣א לְבֵיתָ֣הּ מִשָּׁ֑לֶג כִּ֥י כָל־בֵּ֝יתָ֗הּ לָבֻ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃ | 21 |
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
| מַרְבַדִּ֥ים עָֽשְׂתָה־לָּ֑הּ שֵׁ֖שׁ וְאַרְגָּמָ֣ן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃ | 22 |
She makes coverings for her bed, and she wears clothes of fine purple linen.
| נוֹדָ֣ע בַּשְּׁעָרִ֣ים בַּעְלָ֑הּ בְּ֝שִׁבְתּ֗וֹ עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ | 23 |
Her husband is known at the gates, when he sits with the elders of the land.
| סָדִ֣ין עָ֭שְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וַ֝חֲג֗וֹר נָתְנָ֥ה לַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃ | 24 |
She makes linen garments and sells them, and she supplies sashes to the merchants.
| עֹז־וְהָדָ֥ר לְבוּשָׁ֑הּ וַ֝תִּשְׂחַ֗ק לְי֣וֹם אַחֲרֽוֹן׃ | 25 |
She is clothed with strength and honor, and she laughs at the time to come.
| פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחָכְמָ֑ה וְתֽוֹרַת־חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ׃ | 26 |
She opens her mouth with wisdom and the law of kindness is on her tongue.
| צ֭וֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכ֣וֹת בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְלֶ֥חֶם עַ֝צְל֗וּת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵֽל׃ | 27 |
She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
| קָ֣מוּ בָ֭נֶיהָ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֑וּהָ בַּ֝עְלָ֗הּ וַֽיְהַֽלְלָהּ׃ | 28 |
Her children rise up and call her blessed, and her husband praises her, saying,
| רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה׃ | 29 |
“Many women have done well, but you surpassed them all.”
| שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃ | 30 |
Elegance is deceptive, beauty is vain, but a woman who fears Yahweh, she will be praised.
| תְּנוּ־לָ֭הּ מִפְּרִ֣י יָדֶ֑יהָ וִֽיהַלְל֖וּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִ֣ים מַעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃ | 31 |
Give her the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates.
