מִשְׁלֵי 3

1 בְּנִי תּוֹרָתִי אַל־תִּשְׁכָּח וּמִצְוֺתַי יִצֹּר לִבֶּֽךָ׃

My son, do not forget what I have taught you. Keep my commands in your inner being,

2 כִּי אֹרֶךְ יָמִים וּשְׁנוֹת חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם יוֹסִיפוּ לָֽךְ׃

because [if you obey them] you will live a long time and things will go well for you

3 חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת אַֽל־יַעַזְבֻךָ קָשְׁרֵם עַל־גַּרְגְּרוֹתֶיךָ כָּתְבֵם עַל־לוּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Always faithfully love others and (be faithful/do what you say that you will do); doing those things [will cause others to be pleased with you]; it will be as though you are wearing a beautiful necklace. Keep those things in your mind/inner being.

4 וּמְצָא־חֵן וְשֵֽׂכֶל־טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָֽם׃

If you do, God and people will approve of you and think highly of you [MTY].

5 בְּטַח אֶל־יְהוָה בְּכָל־לִבֶּךָ וְאֶל־בִּֽינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵֽן׃

Trust in Yahweh completely, and do not rely on what you yourself understand.

6 בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ וְהוּא יְיַשֵּׁר אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Always allow him to lead you. If you do that, he will (show you the right path/direct your life).

7 אַל־תְּהִי חָכָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ יְרָא אֶת־יְהוָה וְסוּר מֵרָֽע׃

Do not be proud of being wise. [Instead], revere Yahweh and turn away from doing evil.

8 רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶּךָ וְשִׁקּוּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

If you do that, your body will be healthy/strong; it will be [like] medicine for you.

9 כַּבֵּד אֶת־יְהוָה מֵהוֹנֶךָ וּמֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃

Honor Yahweh by [what you do with] your money; and [by giving him] the first part of your harvest.

10 וְיִמָּלְאוּ אֲסָמֶיךָ שָׂבָע וְתִירוֹשׁ יְקָבֶיךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃

If you do that, [you will have a good harvest]. Yahweh will fill your barns [with grain], and your vats/containers will be overflowing with [grape juice for making] wine.

11 מוּסַר יְהוָה בְּנִי אַל־תִּמְאָס וְאַל־תָּקֹץ בְּתוֹכַחְתּֽוֹ׃

My son, when Yahweh disciplines/corrects you, do not despise it, and if he rebukes you, do not resent it.

12 כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְהוָה יוֹכִיחַ וּכְאָב אֶת־בֵּן יִרְצֶֽה׃

[I say that] because it is the people whom Yahweh loves that he corrects/reproves, [just] like parents correct/reprove their sons whom they love.

13 אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם מָצָא חָכְמָה וְאָדָם יָפִיק תְּבוּנָֽה׃

[Yahweh] is pleased with those who become wise and have good understanding.

14 כִּי טוֹב סַחְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּסֶף וּמֵחָרוּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

Being wise and having good understanding is worth more than silver, better than gold.

15 יְקָרָה הִיא מפניים מִפְּנִינִים וְכָל־חֲפָצֶיךָ לֹא יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃

Being wise is more precious than (jewels/precious stones); there is nothing that you could desire [that would be as valuable] as wisdom.

16 אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּֽימִינָהּ בִּשְׂמֹאולָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃

On the one hand, wisdom [PRS] enables [you] to live a long life, and on the other hand, wisdom enables [you] to become rich and to be honored.

17 דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹעַם וְֽכָל־נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

If [you] are wise, [your] life will be pleasant, and things will go well [for you].

18 עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְֽתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃

Wisdom is [like] a tree that gives long life to those who [eagerly] take hold of it, and [Yahweh] is pleased with those who hold onto it tightly.

19 יְֽהוָה בְּחָכְמָה יָֽסַד־אָרֶץ כּוֹנֵן שָׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָֽה׃

By his wisdom Yahweh created the earth, and by his understanding he put everything in the skies.

20 בְּדַעְתּוֹ תְּהוֹמוֹת נִבְקָעוּ וּשְׁחָקִים יִרְעֲפוּ־טָֽל׃

By his knowledge [he caused] the water that was beneath the earth to burst forth, and he caused rain to fall from the clouds.

21 בְּנִי אַל־יָלֻזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ נְצֹר תֻּשִׁיָּה וּמְזִמָּֽה׃

My son, [always] keep doing things that are right and things that are smart. If you do that,

22 וְיִֽהְיוּ חַיִּים לְנַפְשֶׁךָ וְחֵן לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

you will live [many years] and be honored and respected {people will honor and respect you}.

23 אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַּרְכֶּךָ וְרַגְלְךָ לֹא תִגּֽוֹף׃

If you do what is right and wise, you will [be able to] walk safely, and you will not (stumble/do things that are wrong) [MET].

24 אִם־תִּשְׁכַּב לֹֽא־תִפְחָד וְשָׁכַבְתָּ וְֽעָרְבָה שְׁנָתֶֽךָ׃

You will [be able to] lie down [at night] and not be afraid [of anything], and you will sleep peacefully.

25 אַל־תִּירָא מִפַּחַד פִּתְאֹם וּמִשֹּׁאַת רְשָׁעִים כִּי תָבֹֽא׃

You will not be afraid that something disastrous will happen to you or that storms that strike the wicked will strike you,

26 כִּֽי־יְהוָה יִהְיֶה בְכִסְלֶךָ וְשָׁמַר רַגְלְךָ מִלָּֽכֶד׃

because you will be confident that Yahweh [will take care of you]. He will not let your foot be caught in a trap/snare.

27 אַל־תִּמְנַע־טוֹב מִבְּעָלָיו בִּהְיוֹת לְאֵל ידיך יָדְךָ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

If you are able to help people who deserve it, do not refuse to help them.

28 אַל־תֹּאמַר לרעיך לְרֵֽעֲךָ ׀ לֵךְ וָשׁוּב וּמָחָר אֶתֵּן וְיֵשׁ אִתָּֽךְ׃

If you are able to help someone you interact with, do not say, “Come back later; [perhaps] I can help you tomorrow.”

29 אַל־תַּחֲרֹשׁ עַל־רֵעֲךָ רָעָה וְהֽוּא־יוֹשֵׁב לָבֶטַח אִתָּֽךְ׃

Do not make plans to harm those you interact with regularly, [because] they live near you, and they trust you.

30 אַל־תרוב תָּרִיב עִם־אָדָם חִנָּם אִם־לֹא גְמָלְךָ רָעָֽה׃

If someone has not harmed you, do not accuse him [by saying that he has harmed you].

31 אַל־תְּקַנֵּא בְּאִישׁ חָמָס וְאַל־תִּבְחַר בְּכָל־דְּרָכָֽיו׃

Do not envy people who [obtain things by] violent actions, and do not imitate/do what they do.

32 כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה נָלוֹז וְֽאֶת־יְשָׁרִים סוֹדֽוֹ׃

[I say that] because Yahweh considers such people to be abominable/detestable; but he is a friend to [all] those who do what is right.

33 מְאֵרַת יְהוָה בְּבֵית רָשָׁע וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

Yahweh curses the families [MTY] of those who are wicked, but he blesses the families of those who are good/righteous.

34 אִם־לַלֵּצִים הֽוּא־יָלִיץ ולעניים וְלַעֲנָוִים יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃

Yahweh makes fun of those who make fun [of others], but he kindly helps those who are humble.

35 כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ וּכְסִילִים מֵרִים קָלֽוֹן׃

Wise [people] will be honored {people will honor wise people}, but foolish people will be dishonored/disgraced.