מִשְׁלֵי 25
| גַּם־אֵלֶּה מִשְׁלֵי שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר הֶעְתִּיקוּ אַנְשֵׁי ׀ חִזְקִיָּה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃ | 1 |
These are the miscellaneous instructions of Solomon, which the friends of Ezekias king of Judea copied out.
| כְּבֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר וּכְבֹד מְלָכִים חֲקֹר דָּבָֽר׃ | 2 |
The glory of God conceals a matter: but the glory of a king honors business.
| שָׁמַיִם לָרוּם וָאָרֶץ לָעֹמֶק וְלֵב מְלָכִים אֵין חֵֽקֶר׃ | 3 |
Heaven is high, and earth is deep, and a king's heart is unsearchable.
| הָגוֹ סִיגִים מִכָּסֶף וַיֵּצֵא לַצֹּרֵף כֶּֽלִי׃ | 4 |
Beat the drossy silver, and it shall be made entirely pure.
| הָגוֹ רָשָׁע לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וְיִכּוֹן בַּצֶּדֶק כִּסְאֽוֹ׃ | 5 |
Slay the ungodly from before the king, and his throne shall prosper in righteousness.
| אַל־תִּתְהַדַּר לִפְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ וּבִמְקוֹם גְּדֹלִים אַֽל־תַּעֲמֹֽד׃ | 6 |
Be not boastful in the presence of the king, and remain not in the places of princes;
| כִּי טוֹב אֲמָר־לְךָ עֲֽלֵה הֵנָּה מֵֽהַשְׁפִּילְךָ לִפְנֵי נָדִיב אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ | 7 |
for [it is] better for you that it should be said, Come up to me, than that [one] should humble you in the presence of the prince; speak of that which your eyes have seen.
| אַל־תֵּצֵא לָרִב מַהֵר פֶּן מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה בְּאַחֲרִיתָהּ בְּהַכְלִים אֹתְךָ רֵעֶֽךָ׃ | 8 |
Get not suddenly into a quarrel, lest you repent at last.
| רִֽיבְךָ רִיב אֶת־רֵעֶךָ וְסוֹד אַחֵר אַל־תְּגָֽל׃ | 9 |
Whenever your friend shall reproach you, retreat backward, despise [him] not;
| פֶּֽן־יְחַסֶּדְךָ שֹׁמֵעַ וְדִבָּתְךָ לֹא תָשֽׁוּב׃ | 10 |
lest your friend continue to reproach you, so your quarrel and enmity shall not depart, but shall be to you like death. Favour and friendship set [a man] free, which do you keep for yourself, lest you be made liable to reproach; but take heed to your ways peaceably.
| תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל־אָפְנָֽיו׃ | 11 |
[As] a golden apple in a necklace of sardius, so [is it] to speak a [wise] word.
| נֶזֶם זָהָב וַחֲלִי־כָתֶם מוֹכִיחַ חָכָם עַל־אֹזֶן שֹׁמָֽעַת׃ | 12 |
In an ear-ring of gold a precious sardius is also set; [so is] a wise word to an obedient ear.
| כְּצִנַּת־שֶׁלֶג ׀ בְּיוֹם קָצִיר צִיר נֶאֱמָן לְשֹׁלְחָיו וְנֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנָיו יָשִֽׁיב׃ | 13 |
As a fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful messenger [refreshes] those that send him; for he helps the souls of his employers.
| נְשִׂיאִים וְרוּחַ וְגֶשֶׁם אָיִן אִישׁ מִתְהַלֵּל בְּמַתַּת־שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 14 |
As winds and clouds and rains are most evident [objects], so is he that boasts of a false gift.
| בְּאֹרֶךְ אַפַּיִם יְפֻתֶּה קָצִין וְלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה תִּשְׁבָּר־גָּֽרֶם׃ | 15 |
In longsuffering is prosperity to kings, and a soft tongue breaks the bones.
| דְּבַשׁ מָצָאתָ אֱכֹל דַּיֶּךָּ פֶּן־תִּשְׂבָּעֶנּוּ וַהֲקֵֽאתֽוֹ׃ | 16 |
Having found honey, eat [only] what is enough, lest haply you be filled, and vomit it up.
| הֹקַר רַגְלְךָ מִבֵּית רֵעֶךָ פֶּן־יִשְׂבָּעֲךָ וּשְׂנֵאֶֽךָ׃ | 17 |
Enter sparingly into your friend's house, lest he be satiated with your company, and hate you.
| מֵפִיץ וְחֶרֶב וְחֵץ שָׁנוּן אִישׁ עֹנֶה בְרֵעֵהוּ עֵד שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 18 |
[As] a club, and a dagger, and a pointed arrow, so also is a man who bears false witness against his friend.
| שֵׁן רֹעָה וְרֶגֶל מוּעָדֶת מִבְטָח בּוֹגֵד בְּיוֹם צָרֽ͏ָה׃ | 19 |
The way of the wicked and the foot of the transgressor shall perish in an evil day.
| מַעֲדֶה בֶּגֶד ׀ בְּיוֹם קָרָה חֹמֶץ עַל־נָתֶר וְשָׁר בַּשִּׁרִים עַל לֶב־רָֽע׃ | 20 |
As vinegar is bad for a sore, so trouble befalling the body afflicts the heart. As a moth in a garment, and a worm in wood, so the grief of a man hurts the heart.
| אִם־רָעֵב שֹׂנַאֲךָ הַאֲכִלֵהוּ לָחֶם וְאִם־צָמֵא הַשְׁקֵהוּ מָֽיִם׃ | 21 |
If your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;
| כִּי גֶֽחָלִים אַתָּה חֹתֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וֽ͏ַיהוָה יְשַׁלֶּם־לָֽךְ׃ | 22 |
for so doing you shall heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward you [with] good.
| רוּחַ צָפוֹן תְּחוֹלֵֽל גָּשֶׁם וּפָנִים נִזְעָמִים לְשׁוֹן סָֽתֶר׃ | 23 |
The north wind raises clouds; so an impudent face provokes the tongue.
| טוֹב שֶׁבֶת עַל־פִּנַּת־גָּג מֵאֵשֶׁת מדונים מִדְיָנִים וּבֵית חָֽבֶר׃ | 24 |
[It is] better to dwell on a corner of the roof, than with a railing woman in an open house.
| מַיִם קָרִים עַל־נֶפֶשׁ עֲיֵפָה וּשְׁמוּעָה טוֹבָה מֵאֶרֶץ מֶרְחָֽק׃ | 25 |
As cold water is agreeable to a thirsting soul, so is a good message from a land far off.
| מַעְיָן נִרְפָּשׂ וּמָקוֹר מָשְׁחָת צַדִּיק מָט לִפְנֵֽי־רָשָֽׁע׃ | 26 |
As if one should stop a well, and corrupt a spring of water, so [is it] unseemly for a righteous man to fall before an ungodly man.
| אָכֹל דְּבַשׁ הַרְבּוֹת לֹא־טוֹב וְחֵקֶר כְּבֹדָם כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 27 |
[It is] not good to eat much honey; but it is right to honor venerable sayings.
| עִיר פְּרוּצָה אֵין חוֹמָה אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אֵין מַעְצָר לְרוּחֽוֹ׃ | 28 |
As a city whose walls are broken down, and which is unfortified, so is a man who does anything without counsel.
