מִשְׁלֵי 21

1 פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם לֶב־מֶלֶךְ בְּיַד־יְהוָה עַֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר יַחְפֹּץ יַטֶּֽנּוּ׃

As a rush of water, so is the king's heart in God's hand: he turns it wherever he may desire to point out.

2 כָּֽל־דֶּרֶךְ־אִישׁ יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו וְתֹכֵן לִבּוֹת יְהוָֽה׃

Every man seems to himself righteous; but the Lord directs the hearts.

3 עֲשֹׂה צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט נִבְחָר לַיהוָה מִזָּֽבַח׃

To do justly and to speak truth, are more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices.

4 רוּם־עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב־לֵב נִר רְשָׁעִים חַטָּֽאת׃

A high-minded man is stout-hearted in [his] pride; and the lamp of the wicked is sin.

5 מַחְשְׁבוֹת חָרוּץ אַךְ־לְמוֹתָר וְכָל־אָץ אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃

6 פֹּעַל אוֹצָרוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר הֶבֶל נִדָּף מְבַקְשֵׁי־מָֽוֶת׃

He that gathers treasures with a lying tongue pursues vanity [on] to the snares of death.

7 שֹׁד־רְשָׁעִים יְגוֹרֵם כִּי מֵאֲנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃

Destruction shall lodge with the ungodly; for they refuse to do justly.

8 הֲפַכְפַּךְ דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ וָזָר וְזַךְ יָשָׁר פָּעֳלֽוֹ׃

To the froward God sends froward ways; for his works are pure and right.

9 טוֹב לָשֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת מִדְיָנִים וּבֵית חָֽבֶר׃

[It is] better to dwell in a corner on the house-top, than in plastered [rooms] with unrighteousness, and in an open house.

10 נֶפֶשׁ רָשָׁע אִוְּתָה־רָע לֹא־יֻחַן בְּעֵינָיו רֵעֵֽהוּ׃

The soul of the ungodly shall not be pitied by any man.

11 בַּעְנָשׁ־לֵץ יֶחְכַּם־פֶּתִי וּבְהַשְׂכִּיל לְחָכָם יִקַּח־דָּֽעַת׃

When an intemperate man is punished the simple becomes wiser: and a wise man understanding will receive knowledge.

12 מַשְׂכִּיל צַדִּיק לְבֵית רָשָׁע מְסַלֵּף רְשָׁעִים לָרָֽע׃

A righteous man understands the hearts of the ungodly: and despises the ungodly for their wickedness.

13 אֹטֵם אָזְנוֹ מִזַּעֲקַת־דָּל גַּֽם־הוּא יִקְרָא וְלֹא יֵעָנֶֽה׃

He that stops his ears from hearing the poor, himself also shall cry, and there shall be none to hear [him].

14 מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה־אָף וְשֹׁחַד בַּחֵק חֵמָה עַזָּֽה׃

A secret gift calms anger: but he that forbears to give stirs up strong wrath.

15 שִׂמְחָה לַצַּדִּיק עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וּמְחִתָּה לְפֹעֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

[It is] the joy of the righteous to do judgment: but a holy [man] is abominable with evil-doers.

16 אָדָם תּוֹעֶה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַשְׂכֵּל בִּקְהַל רְפָאִים יָנֽוּחַ׃

A man that wanders out of the way of righteousness, shall rest in the congregation of giants.

17 אִישׁ מַחְסוֹר אֹהֵב שִׂמְחָה אֹהֵב יַֽיִן־וָשֶׁמֶן לֹא יַעֲשִֽׁיר׃

A poor man loves mirth, loving wine and oil in abundance;

18 כֹּפֶר לַצַּדִּיק רָשָׁע וְתַחַת יְשָׁרִים בּוֹגֵֽד׃

and a transgressor is the abomination of a righteous man.

19 טוֹב שֶׁבֶת בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְבָּר מֵאֵשֶׁת מדונים מִדְיָנִים וָכָֽעַס׃

[It is] better to dwell in a wilderness than with a quarrelsome and talkative and passionate woman.

20 אוֹצָר ׀ נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם וּכְסִיל אָדָם יְבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃

A desirable treasure will rest on the mouth of the wise; but foolish men will swallow it up.

21 רֹדֵף צְדָקָה וָחָסֶד יִמְצָא חַיִּים צְדָקָה וְכָבֽוֹד׃

The way of righteousness and mercy will find life and glory.

22 עִיר גִּבֹּרִים עָלָה חָכָם וַיֹּרֶד עֹז מִבְטֶחָֽה׃

A wise man assaults strong cities, and demolishes the fortress in which the ungodly trusted.

23 שֹׁמֵר פִּיו וּלְשׁוֹנוֹ שֹׁמֵר מִצָּרוֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

He that keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from trouble.

24 זֵד יָהִיר לֵץ שְׁמוֹ עוֹשֶׂה בְּעֶבְרַת זָדֽוֹן׃

A bold and self-willed and insolent [man] is called a pest: and he that remembers injuries is a transgressor.

25 תַּאֲוַת עָצֵל תְּמִיתֶנּוּ כִּֽי־מֵאֲנוּ יָדָיו לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

Desires kill the sluggard; for his hands do not choose to do anything.

26 כָּל־הַיּוֹם הִתְאַוָּה תַאֲוָה וְצַדִּיק יִתֵּן וְלֹא יַחְשֹֽׂךְ׃

An ungodly man entertains evil desires all the day: but the righteous is unsparingly merciful and compassionate.

27 זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תּוֹעֵבָה אַף כִּֽי־בְזִמָּה יְבִיאֶֽנּוּ׃

The sacrifices of the ungodly are abomination to the Lord, for they offer them wickedly.

28 עֵד־כְּזָבִים יֹאבֵד וְאִישׁ שׁוֹמֵעַ לָנֶצַח יְדַבֵּֽר׃

A false witness shall perish; but an obedient man will speak cautiously.

29 הֵעֵז אִישׁ רָשָׁע בְּפָנָיו וְיָשָׁר הוּא ׀ יכין יָבִין דרכיו דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

An ungodly man impudently withstands with his face; but the upright man himself understands his ways.

30 אֵין חָכְמָה וְאֵין תְּבוּנָה וְאֵין עֵצָה לְנֶגֶד יְהוָֽה׃

There is no wisdom, there is no courage, there is no counsel against the ungodly.

31 סוּס מוּכָן לְיוֹם מִלְחָמָה וְלַֽיהוָה הַתְּשׁוּעָֽה׃

A horse is prepared for the day of battle; but help is of the Lord.