מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִ֭שְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑ד מֶ֝֗לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 לָדַ֣עַת חָכְמָ֣ה וּמוּסָ֑ר לְ֝הָבִ֗ין אִמְרֵ֥י בִינָֽה׃

For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

3 לָ֭קַחַת מוּסַ֣ר הַשְׂכֵּ֑ל צֶ֥דֶק וּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

4 לָתֵ֣ת לִפְתָאיִ֣ם עָרְמָ֑ה לְ֝נַ֗עַר דַּ֣עַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

For giving to simple ones—prudence, To a youth—knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַ֣ע חָ֭כָם וְי֣וֹסֶף לֶ֑קַח וְ֝נָב֗וֹן תַּחְבֻּל֥וֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

(The wise hear and increase learning, And the intelligent obtain counsels.)

6 לְהָבִ֣ין מָ֭שָׁל וּמְלִיצָ֑ה דִּבְרֵ֥י חֲ֝כָמִ֗ים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

7 יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ פ

Fear of YHWH [is the] beginning of knowledge, Fools have despised wisdom and instruction!

8 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hear, my son, the instruction of your father, And do not leave the law of your mother,

9 כִּ֤י ׀ לִוְיַ֤ת חֵ֓ן הֵ֬ם לְרֹאשֶׁ֑ךָ וַ֝עֲנָקִ֗ים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they [are] a graceful wreath to your head, And chains to your neck.

10 בְּנִ֡י אִם־יְפַתּ֥וּךָ חַ֝טָּאִ֗ים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice you, do not be willing.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ֮ לְכָ֪ה אִ֫תָּ֥נוּ נֶאֶרְבָ֥ה לְדָ֑ם נִצְפְּנָ֖ה לְנָקִ֣י חִנָּֽם׃

If they say, “Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

12 נִ֭בְלָעֵם כִּשְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים כְּי֣וֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ (Sheol h7585)

We swallow them as Sheol—alive, And whole—as those going down [to] the pit, (Sheol h7585)

13 כָּל־ה֣וֹן יָקָ֣ר נִמְצָ֑א נְמַלֵּ֖א בָתֵּ֣ינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We find every precious substance, We fill our houses [with] spoil,

14 גּ֭וֹרָ֣לְךָ תַּפִּ֣יל בְּתוֹכֵ֑נוּ כִּ֥יס אֶ֝חָ֗ד יִהְיֶ֥ה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

You cast your lot among us, One purse is—to all of us.”

15 בְּנִ֗י אַל־תֵּלֵ֣ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אִתָּ֑ם מְנַ֥ע רַ֝גְלְךָ֗ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

My son! Do not go in the way with them, Withhold your foot from their path,

16 כִּ֣י רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם לָרַ֣ע יָר֑וּצוּ וִֽ֝ימַהֲר֗וּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet run to evil, And they hurry to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִ֭נָּם מְזֹרָ֣ה הָרָ֑שֶׁת בְּ֝עֵינֵ֗י כָל־בַּ֥עַל כָּנָֽף׃

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

18 וְ֭הֵם לְדָמָ֣ם יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ יִ֝צְפְּנ֗וּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And they lay wait for their own blood, They watch secretly for their own lives.

19 כֵּ֗ן אָ֭רְחוֹת כָּל־בֹּ֣צֵֽעַ בָּ֑צַע אֶת־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בְּעָלָ֣יו יִקָּֽח׃ פ

So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, It takes the life of its owners.

20 חָ֭כְמוֹת בַּח֣וּץ תָּרֹ֑נָּה בָּ֝רְחֹב֗וֹת תִּתֵּ֥ן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom cries aloud in an out-place, She gives forth her voice in broad places,

21 בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הֹמִיּ֗וֹת תִּ֫קְרָ֥א בְּפִתְחֵ֖י שְׁעָרִ֥ים בָּעִ֗יר אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She calls at the head of the multitudes, In the openings of the gates, In the city she says her sayings:

22 עַד־מָתַ֣י ׀ פְּתָיִם֮ תְּֽאֵהֲב֫וּ פֶ֥תִי וְלֵצִ֗ים לָ֭צוֹן חָמְד֣וּ לָהֶ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

“Until when, you simple, do you love simplicity? And have scorners desired their scorning? And do fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁ֗וּבוּ לְֽת֫וֹכַחְתִּ֥י הִנֵּ֤ה אַבִּ֣יעָה לָכֶ֣ם רוּחִ֑י אוֹדִ֖יעָה דְבָרַ֣י אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn back at my reproof, behold, I pour forth my spirit to you, I make known my words with you.

24 יַ֣עַן קָ֭רָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ נָטִ֥יתִי יָ֝דִ֗י וְאֵ֣ין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and you refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

25 וַתִּפְרְע֥וּ כָל־עֲצָתִ֑י וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י לֹ֣א אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

And you slight all my counsel, And you have not desired my reproof.

26 גַּם־אֲ֭נִי בְּאֵידְכֶ֣ם אֶשְׂחָ֑ק אֶ֝לְעַ֗ג בְּבֹ֣א פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also laugh in your calamity, I deride when your fear comes,

27 בְּבֹ֤א כְשׁוֹאָ֨ה פַּחְדְּכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭אֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָ֣ה יֶאֱתֶ֑ה בְּבֹ֥א עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם צָרָ֥ה וְצוּקָֽה׃

When your fear comes as destruction, And your calamity comes as a windstorm, When adversity and distress come on you.

28 אָ֣ז יִ֭קְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹ֣א אֶֽעֱנֶ֑ה יְ֝שַׁחֲרֻ֗נְנִי וְלֹ֣א יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and do not find me.

29 תַּ֭חַת כִּי־שָׂ֣נְאוּ דָ֑עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה לֹ֣א בָחָֽרוּ׃

Because that they have hated knowledge, And have not chosen the fear of YHWH.

30 לֹא־אָב֥וּ לַעֲצָתִ֑י נָ֝אֲצ֗וּ כָּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

31 וְֽ֭יֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִ֣י דַרְכָּ֑ם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And they are filled from their own counsels.

32 כִּ֤י מְשׁוּבַ֣ת פְּתָיִ֣ם תַּֽהַרְגֵ֑ם וְשַׁלְוַ֖ת כְּסִילִ֣ים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the turning of the simple slays them, And the security of the foolish destroys them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵ֣עַֽ לִ֭י יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּ֑טַח וְ֝שַׁאֲנַ֗ן מִפַּ֥חַד רָעָֽה׃ פ

And whoever is listening to me dwells confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!”

King Solomon in Old Age