מִשְׁלֵי 22
| נִבְחָר שֵׁם מֵעֹשֶׁר רָב מִכֶּסֶף וּמִזָּהָב חֵן טֽוֹב׃ | 1 |
A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving chen ·grace· is better than silver and gold.
| עָשִׁיר וָרָשׁ נִפְגָּשׁוּ עֹשֵׂה כֻלָּם יְהוָֽה׃ | 2 |
The rich and the poor have this in common: Adonai is the maker of them all.
| עָרוּם ׀ רָאָה רָעָה ויסתר וְנִסְתָּר וּפְתָיִים עָבְרוּ וְֽנֶעֱנָֽשׁוּ׃ | 3 |
A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
| עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד וְחַיִּֽים׃ | 4 |
The result of humility and the fear of Adonai is wealth, kavod ·weighty glory·, and life.
| צִנִּים פַּחִים בְּדֶרֶךְ עִקֵּשׁ שׁוֹמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ יִרְחַק מֵהֶֽם׃ | 5 |
Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.
| חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל־פִּי דַרְכּוֹ גַּם כִּֽי־יַזְקִין לֹֽא־יָסוּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ | 6 |
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
| עָשִׁיר בְּרָשִׁים יִמְשׁוֹל וְעֶבֶד לֹוֶה לְאִישׁ מַלְוֶֽה׃ | 7 |
The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.
| זוֹרֵעַ עַוְלָה יקצור־יִקְצָר־אָוֶן וְשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתוֹ יִכְלֶֽה׃ | 8 |
He who sows wickedness reaps vain striving of iniquity, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
| טֽוֹב־עַיִן הוּא יְבֹרָךְ כִּֽי־נָתַן מִלַּחְמוֹ לַדָּֽל׃ | 9 |
He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.
| גָּרֵֽשׁ לֵץ וְיֵצֵא מָדוֹן וְיִשְׁבֹּת דִּין וְקָלֽוֹן׃ | 10 |
Divorce the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
| אֹהֵב טהור־טְהָר־לֵב חֵן שְׂפָתָיו רֵעֵהוּ מֶֽלֶךְ׃ | 11 |
He who 'ahav ·affectionately loves· purity of heart and speaks chen ·gracefully· is the king’s friend.
| עֵינֵי יְהוָה נָצְרוּ דָעַת וַיְסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי בֹגֵֽד׃ | 12 |
Adonai’s eyes watch over knowledge; but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
| אָמַר עָצֵל אֲרִי בַחוּץ בְּתוֹךְ רְחֹבוֹת אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ׃ | 13 |
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!”
| שׁוּחָה עֲמֻקָּה פִּי זָרוֹת זְעוּם יְהוָה יפול־יִפָּל־שָֽׁם׃ | 14 |
The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit: he who is under Adonai’s wrath will fall into it.
| אִוֶּלֶת קְשׁוּרָה בְלֶב־נָעַר שֵׁבֶט מוּסָר יַרְחִיקֶנָּה מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 15 |
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
| עֹשֵֽׁק דָּל לְהַרְבּוֹת לוֹ נֹתֵן לְעָשִׁיר אַךְ־לְמַחְסֽוֹר׃ | 16 |
Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.
| הַט אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים וְלִבְּךָ תָּשִׁית לְדַעְתִּֽי׃ | 17 |
Turn your ear, and sh'ma ·hear obey· the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.
| כִּֽי־נָעִים כִּֽי־תִשְׁמְרֵם בְּבִטְנֶךָ יִכֹּנוּ יַחְדָּו עַל־שְׂפָתֶֽיךָ׃ | 18 |
For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.
| לִהְיוֹת בַּיהוָה מִבְטַחֶךָ הוֹדַעְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם אַף־אָֽתָּה׃ | 19 |
That your trust may be in Adonai, I teach you today, even you.
| הֲלֹא כָתַבְתִּי לְךָ שלשום שָׁלִישִׁים בְּמוֹעֵצֹת וָדָֽעַת׃ | 20 |
Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,
| לְהוֹדִֽיעֲךָ קֹשְׁטְ אִמְרֵי אֱמֶת לְהָשִׁיב אֲמָרִים אֱמֶת לְשֹׁלְחֶֽיךָ׃ | 21 |
To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?
| אַֽל־תִּגְזָל־דָּל כִּי דַל־הוּא וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא עָנִי בַשָּֽׁעַר׃ | 22 |
Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;
| כִּֽי־יְהוָה יָרִיב רִיבָם וְקָבַע אֶת־קֹבְעֵיהֶם נָֽפֶשׁ׃ | 23 |
for Adonai will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
| אַל־תִּתְרַע אֶת־בַּעַל אָף וְאֶת־אִישׁ חֵמוֹת לֹא תָבֽוֹא׃ | 24 |
Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man, and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
| פֶּן־תֶּאֱלַף ארחתו אֹֽרְחֹתָיו וְלָקַחְתָּ מוֹקֵשׁ לְנַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ | 25 |
lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.
| אַל־תְּהִי בְתֹֽקְעֵי־כָף בַּעֹרְבִים מַשָּׁאֽוֹת׃ | 26 |
Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.
| אִם־אֵֽין־לְךָ לְשַׁלֵּם לָמָּה יִקַּח מִשְׁכָּבְךָ מִתַּחְתֶּֽיךָ׃ | 27 |
If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?
| אַל־תַּסֵּג גְּבוּל עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ | 28 |
Don’t move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.
| חָזִיתָ אִישׁ ׀ מָהִיר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ לִֽפְנֵֽי־מְלָכִים יִתְיַצָּב בַּל־יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי חֲשֻׁכִּֽים׃ | 29 |
Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.
