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 perceive the words of understanding;

3 לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 לָתֵת לִפְתָאיִם עָרְמָה לְנַעַר דַּעַת וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 יִשְׁמַע חָכָם וְיוֹסֶף לֶקַח וְנָבוֹן תַּחְבֻּלוֹת יִקְנֶֽה׃

A wise [man] will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels:

6 לְהָבִין מָשָׁל וּמְלִיצָה דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְחִידֹתָֽם׃

To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; 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] fools despise wisdom and instruction.

8 שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל־תִּטֹּשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּֽךָ׃

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 כִּי ׀ לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

For they [shalt be] an ornament of grace to 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 lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily 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; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 כִּי רַגְלֵיהֶם לָרַע יָרוּצוּ וִֽימַהֲרוּ לִשְׁפָּךְ־דָּֽם׃

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

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

Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

18 וְהֵם לְדָמָם יֶאֱרֹבוּ יִצְפְּנוּ לְנַפְשֹׁתָֽם׃

And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily 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; [who] taketh away the life of its owners.

20 חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה בָּרְחֹבוֹת תִּתֵּן קוֹלָֽהּ׃

Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21 בְּרֹאשׁ הֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵֽר׃

She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying],

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

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their 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 to you, I will make known to you my words.

24 יַעַן קָרָאתִי וַתְּמָאֵנוּ נָטִיתִי יָדִי וְאֵין מַקְשִֽׁיב׃

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

25 וַתִּפְרְעוּ כָל־עֲצָתִי וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לֹא אֲבִיתֶֽם׃

But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and rejected my reproof:

26 גַּם־אֲנִי בְּאֵידְכֶם אֶשְׂחָק אֶלְעַג בְּבֹא פַחְדְּכֶֽם׃

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

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

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28 אָז יִקְרָאֻנְנִי וְלֹא אֶֽעֱנֶה יְשַׁחֲרֻנְנִי וְלֹא יִמְצָאֻֽנְנִי׃

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, 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 rejected 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 turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33 וְשֹׁמֵעַֽ לִי יִשְׁכָּן־בֶּטַח וְשַׁאֲנַן מִפַּחַד רָעָֽה׃

But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

King Solomon in Old Age