מִשְׁלֵי 2

1 בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֺתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּֽךְ׃

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,

2 לְהַקְשִׁיב לַֽחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃

make your ears pay attention to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding.

3 כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶֽךָ׃

If you cry out for understanding and raise your voice for it,

4 אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶֽׂנָּה׃

if you seek it like you would seek silver and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures,

5 אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָֽא׃

then you will understand the fear of Yahweh and you will find the knowledge of God.

6 כִּֽי־יְהוָה יִתֵּן חָכְמָה מִפִּיו דַּעַת וּתְבוּנָֽה׃

For Yahweh gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7 וצפן יִצְפֹּן לַיְשָׁרִים תּוּשִׁיָּה מָגֵן לְהֹלְכֵי תֹֽם׃

He stores up sound wisdom for those who please him, he is a shield for those who walk in integrity,

8 לִנְצֹר אָרְחוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְדֶרֶךְ חסידו חֲסִידָיו יִשְׁמֹֽר׃

he guards the paths of justice and he will preserve the way of those who are faithful to him.

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

Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity, and every good path.

10 כִּֽי־תָבוֹא חָכְמָה בְלִבֶּךָ וְדַעַת לְֽנַפְשְׁךָ יִנְעָֽם׃

For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 מְזִמָּה תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ תְּבוּנָה תִנְצְרֶֽכָּה׃

Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.

12 לְהַצִּילְךָ מִדֶּרֶךְ רָע מֵאִישׁ מְדַבֵּר תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃

They will rescue you from the way of evil, from those who speak perverse things,

13 הַעֹזְבִים אָרְחוֹת יֹשֶׁר לָלֶכֶת בְּדַרְכֵי־חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃

who abandon the right paths and walk in the ways of darkness.

14 הַשְּׂמֵחִים לַעֲשׂוֹת רָע יָגִילוּ בְּֽתַהְפֻּכוֹת רָֽע׃

They rejoice when they do evil and delight in the perversities of evil.

15 אֲשֶׁר אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם עִקְּשִׁים וּנְלוֹזִים בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתָֽם׃

They follow crooked paths, and using deception they hide their tracks.

16 לְהַצִּילְךָ מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה מִנָּכְרִיָּה אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

Wisdom and discretion will save you from an adulterous woman, from an immoral woman and her flattering words.

17 הַעֹזֶבֶת אַלּוּף נְעוּרֶיהָ וְאֶת־בְּרִית אֱלֹהֶיהָ שָׁכֵֽחָה׃

She forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

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

For her house leads down to death and her tracks will lead you to those in the grave.

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

All who go in to her will not return again and they will not find the paths of life.

20 לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים וְאָרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹֽר׃

So you will walk in the way of good people and follow the paths of righteous people.

21 כִּֽי־יְשָׁרִים יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ וּתְמִימִים יִוָּתְרוּ בָֽהּ׃

For those doing right will make a home in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.

22 וּרְשָׁעִים מֵאֶרֶץ יִכָּרֵתוּ וּבוֹגְדִים יִסְּחוּ מִמֶּֽנָּה׃

But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless will be cut off from it.