< מִשְׁלֵי 8 >

הֲלֹֽא־חָכְמָ֥ה תִקְרָ֑א וּ֝תְבוּנָ֗ה תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃ 1
Doth not wisdom cry aloud, And understanding put forth her voice?
בְּרֹאשׁ־מְרוֹמִ֥ים עֲלֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ בֵּ֖ית נְתִיב֣וֹת נִצָּֽבָה׃ 2
Upon the top of the high places, By the wayside, In the cross-ways, She taketh her station.
לְיַד־שְׁעָרִ֥ים לְפִי־קָ֑רֶת מְב֖וֹא פְתָחִ֣ים תָּרֹֽנָּה׃ 3
By the side of the gates, In the entrance of the city, In the approaches to the doors, she crieth aloud.
אֲלֵיכֶ֣ם אִישִׁ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וְ֝קוֹלִ֗י אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ 4
“To you, O men! do I call, And my voice is to the sons of men!
הָבִ֣ינוּ פְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים הָבִ֥ינוּ לֵֽב׃ 5
O ye simple ones! learn wisdom, And ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart!
שִׁ֭מְעוּ כִּֽי־נְגִידִ֣ים אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וּמִפְתַּ֥ח שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ 6
Hear, for I speak excellent things, And my lips utter that which is right.
כִּֽי־אֱ֭מֶת יֶהְגֶּ֣ה חִכִּ֑י וְתוֹעֲבַ֖ת שְׂפָתַ֣י רֶֽשַׁע׃ 7
For my mouth speaketh truth, And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
בְּצֶ֥דֶק כָּל־אִמְרֵי־פִ֑י אֵ֥ין בָּ֝הֶ֗ם נִפְתָּ֥ל וְעִקֵּֽשׁ׃ 8
All the words of my mouth are in uprightness; There is nothing crooked or deceitful in them;
כֻּלָּ֣ם נְ֭כֹחִים לַמֵּבִ֑ין וִֽ֝ישָׁרִ֗ים לְמֹ֣צְאֵי דָֽעַת׃ 9
They are all plain to the man of understanding, And right to those who find knowledge.
קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝דַ֗עַת מֵחָר֥וּץ נִבְחָֽר׃ 10
Receive my instruction, and not silver. And knowledge rather than choice gold!
כִּֽי־טוֹבָ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה מִפְּנִינִ֑ים וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצִ֗ים לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃ 11
For wisdom is better than pearls, And no precious things are to be compared with her.
אֲֽנִי־חָ֭כְמָה שָׁכַ֣נְתִּי עָרְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת מְזִמּ֣וֹת אֶמְצָֽא׃ 12
“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out the knowledge of sagacious counsels.
יִֽרְאַ֣ת יְהוָה֮ שְֽׂנֹ֫את רָ֥ע גֵּ֘אָ֤ה וְגָא֨וֹן ׀ וְדֶ֣רֶךְ רָ֭ע וּפִ֨י תַהְפֻּכ֬וֹת שָׂנֵֽאתִי׃ 13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, And the deceitful mouth, do I hate.
לִֽי־עֵ֭צָה וְתוּשִׁיָּ֑ה אֲנִ֥י בִ֝ינָ֗ה לִ֣י גְבוּרָֽה׃ 14
Counsel is mine, and sound reason; I am understanding; I have strength.
בִּ֭י מְלָכִ֣ים יִמְלֹ֑כוּ וְ֝רוֹזְנִ֗ים יְחֹ֣קְקוּ צֶֽדֶק׃ 15
By me kings reign, And princes decree justice.
בִּ֭י שָׂרִ֣ים יָשֹׂ֑רוּ וּ֝נְדִיבִ֗ים כָּל־שֹׁ֥פְטֵי צֶֽדֶק׃ 16
By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
אֲ֭נִי אֹהֲבַ֣י אֵהָ֑ב וּ֝מְשַׁחֲרַ֗י יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃ 17
I love them that love me, And they who seek me early shall find me.
עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָב֥וֹד אִתִּ֑י ה֥וֹן עָ֝תֵ֗ק וּצְדָקָֽה׃ 18
Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable riches and prosperity.
ט֣וֹב פִּ֭רְיִי מֵחָר֣וּץ וּמִפָּ֑ז וּ֝תְבוּאָתִ֗י מִכֶּ֥סֶף נִבְחָֽר׃ 19
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold. And my revenue than choice silver.
בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה אֲהַלֵּ֑ך בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ נְתִיב֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ 20
I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of equity.
לְהַנְחִ֖יל אֹהֲבַ֥י ׀ יֵ֑שׁ וְאֹצְרֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם אֲמַלֵּֽא׃ פ 21
I cause those who love me to possess substance; Yea, I fill their treasuries.
יְֽהוָ֗ה קָ֭נָנִי רֵאשִׁ֣ית דַּרְכּ֑וֹ קֶ֖דֶם מִפְעָלָ֣יו מֵאָֽז׃ 22
“The LORD created me, the firstling of his course, Before his works, of old;
מֵ֭עוֹלָם נִסַּ֥כְתִּי מֵרֹ֗אשׁ מִקַּדְמֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ 23
I was anointed from everlasting, From the beginning, even before the earth was made.
בְּאֵין־תְּהֹמ֥וֹת חוֹלָ֑לְתִּי בְּאֵ֥ין מַ֝עְיָנ֗וֹת נִכְבַּדֵּי־מָֽיִם׃ 24
When as yet there were no deeps, I was brought forth. When there were no springs, abounding with water.
בְּטֶ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים הָטְבָּ֑עוּ לִפְנֵ֖י גְבָע֣וֹת חוֹלָֽלְתִּי׃ 25
Before the mountains were settled, Yea, before the hills, I was brought forth;
עַד־לֹ֣א עָ֭שָׂה אֶ֣רֶץ וְחוּצ֑וֹת וְ֝רֹ֗אשׁ עָפְר֥וֹת תֵּבֵֽל׃ 26
Ere yet he had made the land and the wastes, And the first of the clods of the earth.
בַּהֲכִינ֣וֹ שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑נִי בְּח֥וּקוֹ ח֝֗וּג עַל־פְּנֵ֥י תְהֽוֹם׃ 27
When he framed the heavens, I was there; When he drew a circle upon the face of the deep;
בְּאַמְּצ֣וֹ שְׁחָקִ֣ים מִמָּ֑עַל בַּ֝עֲז֗וֹז עִינ֥וֹת תְּהוֹם׃ 28
When he made firm the sky above, And the fountains of the deep rushed forth;
בְּשׂ֘וּמ֤וֹ לַיָּ֨ם ׀ חֻקּ֗וֹ וּ֭מַיִם לֹ֣א יַֽעַבְרוּ־פִ֑יו בְּ֝חוּק֗וֹ מ֣וֹסְדֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ 29
When he gave to the sea its bounds, that the waters should not pass their border; When he marked out the foundations of the earth, —
וָֽאֶהְיֶ֥ה אֶצְל֗וֹ אָ֫מ֥וֹן וָֽאֶהְיֶ֣ה שַׁ֭עֲשֻׁעִים י֤וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם מְשַׂחֶ֖קֶת לְפָנָ֣יו בְּכָל־עֵֽת׃ 30
Then was I by him as a master-builder; I was his delight day by day, Exulting before him at all times;
מְ֭שַׂחֶקֶת בְּתֵבֵ֣ל אַרְצ֑וֹ וְ֝שַׁעֲשֻׁעַ֗י אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃ פ 31
Exulting in the habitable part of his earth, And my delight was with the sons of men.
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝אַשְׁרֵ֗י דְּרָכַ֥י יִשְׁמֹֽרוּ׃ 32
“Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me! For happy are they who keep my ways!
שִׁמְע֖וּ מוּסָ֥ר וַחֲכָ֗מוּ וְאַל־תִּפְרָֽעוּ׃ 33
Hear instruction, and be wise! Yea, reject it not!
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי אָדָם֮ שֹׁמֵ֪עַֽ֫ לִ֥י לִשְׁקֹ֣ד עַל־דַּ֭לְתֹתַי י֤וֹם ׀ י֑וֹם לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר מְזוּזֹ֥ת פְּתָחָֽי׃ 34
Happy the man who hearkeneth to me, Who watcheth day by day at my gates, Who waiteth at the posts of my doors;
כִּ֣י מֹ֭צְאִי מָצָ֣א חַיִּ֑ים וַיָּ֥פֶק רָ֝צ֗וֹן מֵיְהוָֽה׃ 35
For he that findeth me findeth life, And obtaineth favor from the LORD;
וְֽ֭חֹטְאִי חֹמֵ֣ס נַפְשׁ֑וֹ כָּל־מְ֝שַׂנְאַ֗י אָ֣הֲבוּ מָֽוֶת׃ פ 36
But he who misseth me doeth violence to himself; All they who hate me love death.”

< מִשְׁלֵי 8 >