מִשְׁלֵי 20
| לֵץ הַיַּין הֹמֶה שֵׁכָר וְכָל־שֹׁגֶה בּוֹ לֹא יֶחְכָּֽם׃ | 1 |
Wine makes men foolish, and strong drink makes men come to blows; and whoever comes into error through these is not wise.
| נַהַם כַּכְּפִיר אֵימַת מֶלֶךְ מִתְעַבְּרוֹ חוֹטֵא נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 2 |
The wrath of a king is like the loud cry of a lion: he who makes him angry does wrong against himself.
| כָּבוֹד לָאִישׁ שֶׁבֶת מֵרִיב וְכָל־אֱוִיל יִתְגַּלָּֽע׃ | 3 |
It is an honour for a man to keep from fighting, but the foolish are ever at war.
| מֵחֹרֶף עָצֵל לֹא־יַחֲרֹשׁ ישאל וְשָׁאַל בַּקָּצִיר וָאָֽיִן׃ | 4 |
The hater of work will not do his ploughing because of the winter; so at the time of grain-cutting he will be requesting food and will get nothing.
| מַיִם עֲמֻקִּים עֵצָה בְלֶב־אִישׁ וְאִישׁ תְּבוּנָה יִדְלֶֽנָּה׃ | 5 |
The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out.
| רָב־אָדָם יִקְרָא אִישׁ חַסְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֱמוּנִים מִי יִמְצָֽא׃ | 6 |
Most men make no secret of their kind acts: but where is a man of good faith to be seen?
| מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתֻמּוֹ צַדִּיק אַשְׁרֵי בָנָיו אַחֲרָֽיו׃ | 7 |
An upright man goes on in his righteousness: happy are his children after him!
| מֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא־דִין מְזָרֶה בְעֵינָיו כָּל־רָֽע׃ | 8 |
A king on the seat of judging puts to flight all evil with his eyes.
| מִֽי־יֹאמַר זִכִּיתִי לִבִּי טָהַרְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃ | 9 |
Who is able to say, I have made my heart clean, I am free from my sin?
| אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 10 |
Unequal weights and unequal measures, they are all disgusting to the Lord.
| גַּם בְּמַעֲלָלָיו יִתְנַכֶּר־נָעַר אִם־זַךְ וְאִם־יָשָׁר פָּעֳלֽוֹ׃ | 11 |
Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right.
| אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת וְעַיִן רֹאָה יְהוָה עָשָׂה גַם־שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ | 12 |
The hearing ear and the seeing eye are equally the Lord's work.
| אַל־תֶּֽאֱהַב שֵׁנָה פֶּן־תִּוָּרֵשׁ פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ שְֽׂבַֽע־לָֽחֶם׃ | 13 |
Do not be a lover of sleep, or you will become poor: keep your eyes open, and you will have bread enough.
| רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקּוֹנֶה וְאֹזֵל לוֹ אָז יִתְהַלָּֽל׃ | 14 |
A poor thing, a poor thing, says he who is giving money for goods: but when he has gone on his way, then he makes clear his pride in what he has got.
| יֵשׁ זָהָב וְרָב־פְּנִינִים וּכְלִי יְקָר שִׂפְתֵי־דָֽעַת׃ | 15 |
There is gold and a store of corals: but the lips of knowledge are a jewel of great price.
| לְֽקַח־בִּגְדוֹ כִּי־עָרַב זָר וּבְעַד נכרים נָכְרִיָּה חַבְלֵֽהוּ׃ | 16 |
Take a man's clothing if he makes himself responsible for a strange man, and get an undertaking from him who gives his word for strange men.
| עָרֵב לָאִישׁ לֶחֶם שָׁקֶר וְאַחַר יִמָּֽלֵא־פִיהוּ חָצָֽץ׃ | 17 |
Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but after, his mouth will be full of sand.
| מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעֵצָה תִכּוֹן וּבְתַחְבֻּלוֹת עֲשֵׂה מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | 18 |
Every purpose is put into effect by wise help: and by wise guiding make war.
| גּֽוֹלֶה־סּוֹד הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל וּלְפֹתֶה שְׂפָתָיו לֹא תִתְעָרָֽב׃ | 19 |
He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide.
| מְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ יִֽדְעַךְ נֵרוֹ באישון בֶּאֱשׁוּן חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ | 20 |
If anyone puts a curse on his father or his mother, his light will be put out in the blackest night.
| נַחֲלָה מבחלת מְבֹהֶלֶת בָּרִאשֹׁנָה וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ לֹא תְבֹרָֽךְ׃ | 21 |
A heritage may be got quickly at first, but the end of it will not be a blessing.
| אַל־תֹּאמַר אֲשַׁלְּמָה־רָע קַוֵּה לַֽיהוָה וְיֹשַֽׁע לָֽךְ׃ | 22 |
Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour.
| תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן וּמֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לֹא־טֽוֹב׃ | 23 |
Unequal weights are disgusting to the Lord, and false scales are not good.
| מֵיהוָה מִצְעֲדֵי־גָבֶר וְאָדָם מַה־יָּבִין דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃ | 24 |
A man's steps are of the Lord; how then may a man have knowledge of his way?
| מוֹקֵשׁ אָדָם יָלַע קֹדֶשׁ וְאַחַר נְדָרִים לְבַקֵּֽר׃ | 25 |
It is a danger to a man to say without thought, It is holy, and, after taking his oaths, to be questioning if it is necessary to keep them.
| מְזָרֶה רְשָׁעִים מֶלֶךְ חָכָם וַיָּשֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹפָֽן׃ | 26 |
A wise king puts evil-doers to flight, and makes their evil-doing come back on them.
| נֵר יְהוָה נִשְׁמַת אָדָם חֹפֵשׂ כָּל־חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃ | 27 |
The Lord keeps watch over the spirit of man, searching all the deepest parts of the body.
| חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת יִצְּרוּ־מֶלֶךְ וְסָעַד בַּחֶסֶד כִּסְאֽוֹ׃ | 28 |
Mercy and good faith keep the king safe, and the seat of his power is based on upright acts.
| תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָֽה׃ | 29 |
The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs.
| חַבֻּרוֹת פֶּצַע תמריק תַּמְרוּק בְּרָע וּמַכּוֹת חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃ | 30 |
By the wounds of the rod evil is taken away, and blows make clean the deepest parts of the body.
