מִשְׁלֵי 17
| טוֹב פַּת חֲרֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָהּ מִבַּיִת מָלֵא זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב׃ | 1 |
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, Than a house full of feasting with strife.
| עֶֽבֶד־מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ וּבְתוֹךְ אַחִים יַחֲלֹק נַחֲלָֽה׃ | 2 |
A servant that dealeth wisely shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, And shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.
| מַצְרֵף לַכֶּסֶף וְכוּר לַזָּהָב וּבֹחֵן לִבּוֹת יְהוָֽה׃ | 3 |
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; But Jehovah trieth the hearts.
| מֵרַע מַקְשִׁיב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָוֶן שֶׁקֶר מֵזִין עַל־לְשׁוֹן הַוֺּֽת׃ | 4 |
An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; [And] a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
| לֹעֵג לָרָשׁ חֵרֵף עֹשֵׂהוּ שָׂמֵחַ לְאֵיד לֹא יִנָּקֶֽה׃ | 5 |
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker; [And] he that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
| עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ | 6 |
Children’s children are the crown of old men; And the glory of children are their fathers.
| לֹא־נָאוָה לְנָבָל שְׂפַת־יֶתֶר אַף כִּֽי־לְנָדִיב שְׂפַת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 7 |
Excellent speech becometh not a fool; Much less do lying lips a prince.
| אֶֽבֶן־חֵן הַשֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵי בְעָלָיו אֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ | 8 |
A bribe is [as] a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
| מְֽכַסֶּה־פֶּשַׁע מְבַקֵּשׁ אַהֲבָה וְשֹׁנֶה בְדָבָר מַפְרִיד אַלּֽוּף׃ | 9 |
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends.
| תֵּחַת גְּעָרָה בְמֵבִין מֵהַכּוֹת כְּסִיל מֵאָֽה׃ | 10 |
A rebuke entereth deeper into one that hath understanding Than a hundred stripes into a fool.
| אַךְ־מְרִי יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָע וּמַלְאָךְ אַכְזָרִי יְשֻׁלַּח־בּֽוֹ׃ | 11 |
An evil man seeketh only rebellion; Therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.
| פָּגוֹשׁ דֹּב שַׁכּוּל בְּאִישׁ וְאַל־כְּסִיל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, Rather than a fool in his folly.
| מֵשִׁיב רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה לֹא־תמיש תָמוּשׁ רָעָה מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ | 13 |
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.
| פּוֹטֵֽר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן וְלִפְנֵי הִתְגַּלַּע הָרִיב נְטֽוֹשׁ׃ | 14 |
The beginning of strife is [as] when one letteth out water: Therefore leave off contention, before there is quarrelling.
| מַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע וּמַרְשִׁיעַ צַדִּיק תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 15 |
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
| לָמָּה־זֶּה מְחִיר בְּיַד־כְּסִיל לִקְנוֹת חָכְמָה וְלֶב־אָֽיִן׃ | 16 |
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, Seeing he hath no understanding?
| בְּכָל־עֵת אֹהֵב הָרֵעַ וְאָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵֽד׃ | 17 |
A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.
| אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב תּוֹקֵעַ כָּף עֹרֵב עֲרֻבָּה לִפְנֵי רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ | 18 |
A man void of understanding striketh hands, And becometh surety in the presence of his neighbor.
| אֹהֵֽב פֶּשַׁע אֹהֵב מַצָּה מַגְבִּיהַּ פִּתְחוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָֽׁבֶר׃ | 19 |
He loveth transgression that loveth strife: He that raiseth high his gate seeketh destruction.
| עִקֶּשׁ־לֵב לֹא יִמְצָא־טוֹב וְנֶהְפָּךְ בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ יִפּוֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃ | 20 |
He that hath a wayward heart findeth no good; And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
| יֹלֵד כְּסִיל לְתוּגָה לוֹ וְלֹֽא־יִשְׂמַח אֲבִי נָבָֽל׃ | 21 |
He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.
| לֵב שָׂמֵחַ יֵיטִב גֵּהָה וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּֽרֶם׃ | 22 |
A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.
| שֹׁחַד מֵחֵיק רָשָׁע יִקָּח לְהַטּוֹת אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | 23 |
A wicked man receiveth a bribe out of the bosom, To pervert the ways of justice.
| אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין חָכְמָה וְעֵינֵי כְסִיל בִּקְצֵה־אָֽרֶץ׃ | 24 |
Wisdom is before the face of him that hath understanding; But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
| כַּעַס לְאָבִיו בֵּן כְּסִיל וּמֶמֶר לְיוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃ | 25 |
A foolish son is a grief to his father, And bitterness to her that bare him.
| גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא־טוֹב לְהַכּוֹת נְדִיבִים עַל־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ | 26 |
Also to punish the righteous is not good, [Nor] to smite the noble for [their] uprightness.
| חוֹשֵׂךְ אֲמָרָיו יוֹדֵעַ דָּעַת וקר־יְקַר־רוּחַ אִישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ | 27 |
He that spareth his words hath knowledge; And he that is of a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
| גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבֽוֹן׃ | 28 |
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise; When he shutteth his lips, he is [esteemed as] prudent.
