מִשְׁלֵי 1

1 מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶן־דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

THE PROVERBS of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

2 לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָֽה׃

To know wisdom and instruction; to comprehend the words of understanding;

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

To receive the discipline of wisdom, justice, and right, and equity;

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion;

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

That the wise man may hear, and increase in learning, and the man of understanding may attain unto wise counsels;

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

To understand a proverb, and a figure; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and discipline.

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother;

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 בְּנִי אִם־יְפַתּוּךָ חַטָּאִים אַל־תֹּבֵֽא׃

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 אִם־יֹאמְרוּ לְכָה אִתָּנוּ נֶאֶרְבָה לְדָם נִצְפְּנָה לְנָקִי חִנָּֽם׃

If they say: 'Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk for the innocent without cause;

12 נִבְלָעֵם כִּשְׁאוֹל חַיִּים וּתְמִימִים כְּיוֹרְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ (Sheol h7585)

Let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; (Sheol h7585)

13 כָּל־הוֹן יָקָר נִמְצָא נְמַלֵּא בָתֵּינוּ שָׁלָֽל׃

We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

14 גּוֹרָלְךָ תַּפִּיל בְּתוֹכֵנוּ כִּיס אֶחָד יִהְיֶה לְכֻלָּֽנוּ׃

Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse' —

15 בְּנִי אַל־תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אִתָּם מְנַע רַגְלְךָ מִנְּתִיבָתָֽם׃

My son, walk not thou in the way with them, restrain thy foot from their path;

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִֽימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

17 כִּֽי־חִנָּם מְזֹרָה הָרָשֶׁת בְּעֵינֵי כָל־בַּעַל כָּנָֽף׃

For in vain the net is spread in the eyes of any bird;

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And these lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk for their own lives.

19 כֵּן אָרְחוֹת כָּל־בֹּצֵֽעַ בָּצַע אֶת־נֶפֶשׁ בְּעָלָיו יִקָּֽח׃

So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; it taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

20 חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets, she uttereth her voice in the broad places;

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She calleth at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrances of the gates, in the city, she uttereth her words:

22 עַד־מָתַי ׀ פְּתָיִם תְּֽאֵהֲבוּ פֶתִי וְלֵצִים לָצוֹן חָמְדוּ לָהֶם וּכְסִילִים יִשְׂנְאוּ־דָֽעַת׃

'How long, ye thoughtless, will ye love thoughtlessness? And how long will scorners delight them in scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 תָּשׁוּבוּ לְֽתוֹכַחְתִּי הִנֵּה אַבִּיעָה לָכֶם רוּחִי אוֹדִיעָה דְבָרַי אֶתְכֶֽם׃

Turn you at my reproof; behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man attended,

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof;

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also, in your calamity, will laugh, I will mock when your dread cometh;

27 בְּבֹא כשאוה כְשׁוֹאָה ׀ פַּחְדְּכֶם וְֽאֵידְכֶם כְּסוּפָה יֶאֱתֶה בְּבֹא עֲלֵיכֶם צָרָה וְצוּקָֽה׃

When your dread cometh as a storm, and your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; when trouble and distress come upon you.

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶֽעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then will they call me, but I will not answer, they will seek me earnestly, but they shall not find me.

29 תַּחַת כִּי־שָׂנְאוּ דָעַת וְיִרְאַת יְהֹוָה לֹא בָחָֽרוּ׃

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD;

30 לֹא־אָבוּ לַעֲצָתִי נָאֲצוּ כָּל־תּוֹכַחְתִּֽי׃

They would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.

31 וְֽיֹאכְלוּ מִפְּרִי דַרְכָּם וּֽמִמֹּעֲצֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32 כִּי מְשׁוּבַת פְּתָיִם תַּֽהַרְגֵם וְשַׁלְוַת כְּסִילִים תְּאַבְּדֵֽם׃

For the waywardness of the thoughtless shall slay them, and the confidence of fools shall destroy them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, and shall be quiet without fear of evil.'

King Solomon in Old Age