מִשְׁלֵי 2

1 בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֺתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּֽךְ׃

Oh, my son, that thou wouldst receive my words, And treasure up my precepts within thee;

2 לְהַקְשִׁיב לַֽחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃

That thou wouldst apply thine ear to wisdom, And incline thy heart to understanding!

3 כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃

For if thou wilt call aloud to knowledge, And lift up thy voice to understanding, —

4 אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃

If thou wilt seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures,

5 אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָֽא׃

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

6 כִּֽי־יְהוָה יִתֵּן חָכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

For the LORD giveth wisdom; From his mouth proceed knowledge and understanding:

7 וצפן יִצְפֹּן לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹֽם׃

He layeth up safety for the righteous; He is a shield to them that walk uprightly:

8 לִנְצֹר אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חסידו חֲסִידָיו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃

He guardeth the paths of equity, And defendeth the way of his servants.

9 אָז תָּבִין צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים כָּל־מַעְגַּל־טֽוֹב׃

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and equity And uprightness, yea, every good path.

10 כִּֽי־תָבוֹא חָכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָֽם׃

When wisdom entereth into thy heart, And knowledge is pleasant to thy soul,

11 מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

Discretion will guard thee, Understanding will preserve thee.

12 לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

It will deliver thee from the way of the wicked, From the men who speak perverse things;

13 הַעֹזְבִים אָרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָֽע׃

Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perverseness of the wicked;

15 אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃

Whose paths are crooked, And who are froward in their ways.

16 לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

It will deliver thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, who useth smooth words;

17 הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃

Who forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18 כִּי שָׁחָה אֶל־מָוֶת בֵּיתָהּ וְאֶל־רְפָאִים מַעְגְּלֹתֶֽיהָ׃

For her house sinketh down to Death, And her paths to the shades of the dead:

19 כָּל־בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן וְלֹֽא־יַשִּׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

None that go to her return again; They will not attain the paths of life.

20 לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

Therefore walk thou in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous:

21 כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָֽהּ׃

For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the righteous shall remain in it;

22 וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And transgressors shall be rooted out of it.