מִשְׁלֵי 17
| טוֹב פַּת חֲרֵבָה וְשַׁלְוָה־בָהּ מִבַּיִת מָלֵא זִבְחֵי־רִֽיב׃ | 1 |
Better [is] a dry morsel, and rest with it, Than a house full of the sacrifices of strife.
| עֶֽבֶד־מַשְׂכִּיל יִמְשֹׁל בְּבֵן מֵבִישׁ וּבְתוֹךְ אַחִים יַחֲלֹק נַחֲלָֽה׃ | 2 |
A wise servant rules over a son causing shame, And he apportions an inheritance in the midst of brothers.
| מַצְרֵף לַכֶּסֶף וְכוּר לַזָּהָב וּבֹחֵן לִבּוֹת יְהוָֽה׃ | 3 |
A refining pot [is] for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts [is] YHWH.
| מֵרַע מַקְשִׁיב עַל־שְׂפַת־אָוֶן שֶׁקֶר מֵזִין עַל־לְשׁוֹן הַוֺּֽת׃ | 4 |
An evildoer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
| לֹעֵג לָרָשׁ חֵרֵף עֹשֵׂהוּ שָׂמֵחַ לְאֵיד לֹא יִנָּקֶֽה׃ | 5 |
Whoever is mocking at the poor Has reproached his Maker, Whoever is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
| עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ | 6 |
Sons’ sons [are] the crown of old men, And the glory of sons [are] their fathers.
| לֹא־נָאוָה לְנָבָל שְׂפַת־יֶתֶר אַף כִּֽי־לְנָדִיב שְׂפַת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 7 |
A lip of excellence is not fitting for a fool, much less a lip of falsehood for a noble.
| אֶֽבֶן־חֵן הַשֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵי בְעָלָיו אֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃ | 8 |
A stone of grace [is] the bribe in the eyes of its possessors, Wherever it turns, it prospers.
| מְֽכַסֶּה־פֶּשַׁע מְבַקֵּשׁ אַהֲבָה וְשֹׁנֶה בְדָבָר מַפְרִיד אַלּֽוּף׃ | 9 |
Whoever is covering transgression is seeking love, And whoever is repeating a matter Is separating a familiar friend.
| תֵּחַת גְּעָרָה בְמֵבִין מֵהַכּוֹת כְּסִיל מֵאָֽה׃ | 10 |
Rebuke comes down on the intelligent More than one hundred stripes on a fool.
| אַךְ־מְרִי יְבַקֶּשׁ־רָע וּמַלְאָךְ אַכְזָרִי יְשֻׁלַּח־בּֽוֹ׃ | 11 |
An evil man seeks only rebellion, And a fierce messenger is sent against him.
| פָּגוֹשׁ דֹּב שַׁכּוּל בְּאִישׁ וְאַל־כְּסִיל בְּאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ | 12 |
The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And—not a fool in his folly.
| מֵשִׁיב רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה לֹא־תמיש תָמוּשׁ רָעָה מִבֵּיתֽוֹ׃ | 13 |
Whoever is returning evil for good, Evil does not move from his house.
| פּוֹטֵֽר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדוֹן וְלִפְנֵי הִתְגַּלַּע הָרִיב נְטֽוֹשׁ׃ | 14 |
The beginning of contention [is] a letting out of waters, And leave the strife before it is meddled with.
| מַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע וּמַרְשִׁיעַ צַדִּיק תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 15 |
Whoever is justifying the wicked, And condemning the righteous, Even both of these [are] an abomination to YHWH.
| לָמָּה־זֶּה מְחִיר בְּיַד־כְּסִיל לִקְנוֹת חָכְמָה וְלֶב־אָֽיִן׃ | 16 |
Why [is] this—a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, And a heart—there is none?
| בְּכָל־עֵת אֹהֵב הָרֵעַ וְאָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵֽד׃ | 17 |
The friend is loving at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.
| אָדָם חֲסַר־לֵב תּוֹקֵעַ כָּף עֹרֵב עֲרֻבָּה לִפְנֵי רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ | 18 |
A man lacking heart is striking hands, He becomes a guarantor before his friend.
| אֹהֵֽב פֶּשַׁע אֹהֵב מַצָּה מַגְבִּיהַּ פִּתְחוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־שָֽׁבֶר׃ | 19 |
Whoever is loving transgression is loving debate, Whoever is making his entrance high is seeking destruction.
| עִקֶּשׁ־לֵב לֹא יִמְצָא־טוֹב וְנֶהְפָּךְ בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ יִפּוֹל בְּרָעָֽה׃ | 20 |
The perverse of heart does not find good, And the [one] turned in his tongue falls into evil.
| יֹלֵד כְּסִיל לְתוּגָה לוֹ וְלֹֽא־יִשְׂמַח אֲבִי נָבָֽל׃ | 21 |
Whoever is begetting a fool has affliction for it, Indeed, the father of a fool does not rejoice.
| לֵב שָׂמֵחַ יֵיטִב גֵּהָה וְרוּחַ נְכֵאָה תְּיַבֶּשׁ־גָּֽרֶם׃ | 22 |
A rejoicing heart does good to the body, And a struck spirit dries the bone.
| שֹׁחַד מֵחֵיק רָשָׁע יִקָּח לְהַטּוֹת אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | 23 |
The wicked takes a bribe from the bosom, To turn aside the paths of judgment.
| אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין חָכְמָה וְעֵינֵי כְסִיל בִּקְצֵה־אָֽרֶץ׃ | 24 |
The face of the intelligent [is] to wisdom, And the eyes of a fool—at the end of the earth.
| כַּעַס לְאָבִיו בֵּן כְּסִיל וּמֶמֶר לְיוֹלַדְתּֽוֹ׃ | 25 |
A foolish son [is] a provocation to his father, And bitterness to her bearing him.
| גַּם עֲנוֹשׁ לַצַּדִּיק לֹא־טוֹב לְהַכּוֹת נְדִיבִים עַל־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ | 26 |
Also, [it] is not good to fine the righteous, To strike nobles for uprightness.
| חוֹשֵׂךְ אֲמָרָיו יוֹדֵעַ דָּעַת וקר־יְקַר־רוּחַ אִישׁ תְּבוּנָֽה׃ | 27 |
One acquainted with knowledge is sparing his words, And the cool of temper [is] a man of understanding.
| גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבֽוֹן׃ | 28 |
Even a fool keeping silence is reckoned wise, He who is shutting his lips [seems] intelligent!
