מִשְׁלֵי 26
| כַּשֶּׁלֶג ׀ בַּקַּיִץ וְכַמָּטָר בַּקָּצִיר כֵּן לֹא־נָאוֶה לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 1 |
In the manner of snow in the summer, and rain at the harvest, so also is glory unfit for the foolish.
| כַּצִּפּוֹר לָנוּד כַּדְּרוֹר לָעוּף כֵּן קִֽלְלַת חִנָּם לא לוֹ תָבֹֽא׃ | 2 |
Like a bird flying away to another place, and like a sparrow that hurries away freely, so also a curse uttered against someone without cause will pass away.
| שׁוֹט לַסּוּס מֶתֶג לַחֲמוֹר וְשֵׁבֶט לְגֵו כְּסִילִֽים׃ | 3 |
A whip is for a horse, and a muzzle is for donkey, and a rod is for the back of the imprudent.
| אַל־תַּעַן כְּסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּוֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה׃ | 4 |
Do not respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest you become like him.
| עֲנֵה כְסִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּוֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶה חָכָם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃ | 5 |
Respond to the foolish according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.
| מְקַצֶּה רַגְלַיִם חָמָס שֹׁתֶה שֹׁלֵחַ דְּבָרִים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל׃ | 6 |
Whoever sends words by a foolish messenger has lame feet and drinks iniquity.
| דַּלְיוּ שֹׁקַיִם מִפִּסֵּחַ וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃ | 7 |
In the manner of a lame man who has beautiful legs to no purpose, so also is a parable unfit for the mouth of the foolish.
| כִּצְרוֹר אֶבֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָה כֵּן־נוֹתֵן לִכְסִיל כָּבֽוֹד׃ | 8 |
Just like one who casts a stone into the pile of Mercury, so also is he who gives honor to the foolish.
| חוֹחַ עָלָה בְיַד־שִׁכּוֹר וּמָשָׁל בְּפִי כְסִילִֽים׃ | 9 |
In the manner of a thorn, if it were to spring up from the hand of a drunkard, so also is a parable in the mouth of the foolish.
| רַב מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּל וְשֹׂכֵר כְּסִיל וְשֹׂכֵר עֹבְרִֽים׃ | 10 |
Judgment determines cases. And whoever imposes silence on the foolish mitigates anger.
| כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל־קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ׃ | 11 |
Like a dog that returns to his vomit, so also is the imprudent who repeats his foolishness.
| רָאִיתָ אִישׁ חָכָם בְּעֵינָיו תִּקְוָה לִכְסִיל מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 12 |
Have you seen a man who seems wise to himself? There will be greater hope held for the unwise than for him.
| אָמַר עָצֵל שַׁחַל בַּדָּרֶךְ אֲרִי בֵּין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת׃ | 13 |
The lazy one says, “There is a lion along the way, and a lioness in the roads.”
| הַדֶּלֶת תִּסּוֹב עַל־צִירָהּ וְעָצֵל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃ | 14 |
Just as a door turns upon its hinges, so also does the lazy one turn upon his bed.
| טָמַן עָצֵל יָדוֹ בַּצַּלָּחַת נִלְאָה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָהּ אֶל־פִּֽיו׃ | 15 |
The lazy one conceals his hand under his arms, and it is a labor for him to move it to his mouth.
| חָכָם עָצֵל בְּעֵינָיו מִשִּׁבְעָה מְשִׁיבֵי טָֽעַם׃ | 16 |
The lazy one seems wiser to himself than seven men speaking judgments.
| מַחֲזִיק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָלֶב עֹבֵר מִתְעַבֵּר עַל־רִיב לֹּֽא־לֽוֹ׃ | 17 |
Just like one who takes hold of a dog by the ears, so also is he who crosses impatiently and meddles in the quarrels of another.
| כְּֽמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים חִצִּים וָמָֽוֶת׃ | 18 |
Just as he is guilty who let loose the arrows and the lances unto death,
| כֵּֽן־אִישׁ רִמָּה אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וְאָמַר הֲֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵק אָֽנִי׃ | 19 |
so also is the man who harms his friend by deceitfulness. And when he has been apprehended, he says, “I did it jokingly.”
| בְּאֶפֶס עֵצִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵשׁ וּבְאֵין נִרְגָּן יִשְׁתֹּק מָדֽוֹן׃ | 20 |
When the wood fails, the fire will be extinguished. And when the gossiper is taken away, conflicts will be quelled.
| פֶּחָם לְגֶחָלִים וְעֵצִים לְאֵשׁ וְאִישׁ מדונים מִדְיָנִים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב׃ | 21 |
Just as charcoals are to burning coals, and wood is to fire, so also is an angry man who stirs up quarrels.
| דִּבְרֵי נִרְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִים וְהֵם יָרְדוּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן׃ | 22 |
The words of a whisperer seem simple, but they penetrate to the innermost parts of the self.
| כֶּסֶף סִיגִים מְצֻפֶּה עַל־חָרֶשׂ שְׂפָתַיִם דֹּלְקִים וְלֶב־רָֽע׃ | 23 |
In the same manner as an earthen vessel, if it were adorned with impure silver, conceited lips are allied with a wicked heart.
| בשפתו בִּשְׂפָתָיו יִנָּכֵר שׂוֹנֵא וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׁית מִרְמָֽה׃ | 24 |
An enemy is known by his lips, though it is from his heart that he draws out deceit.
| כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּן קוֹלוֹ אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בּוֹ כִּי שֶׁבַע תּוֹעֵבוֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃ | 25 |
When he will have lowered his voice, do not believe him, for there are seven vices in his heart.
| תִּכַּסֶּה שִׂנְאָה בְּמַשָּׁאוֹן תִּגָּלֶה רָעָתוֹ בְקָהָֽל׃ | 26 |
Whoever covers hatred with deceit, his malice shall be revealed in the assembly.
| כֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁחַת בָּהּ יִפֹּל וְגֹלֵל אֶבֶן אֵלָיו תָּשֽׁוּב׃ | 27 |
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever rolls a stone, it will roll back to him.
| לְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁקֶר יִשְׂנָא דַכָּיו וּפֶה חָלָק יַעֲשֶׂה מִדְחֶֽה׃ | 28 |
A false tongue does not love truth. And a slippery mouth works ruin.
