מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃

Hear, [my] sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

2 כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּֽוֹרָתִי אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

3 כִּי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃

For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 וַיֹּרֵנִי וַיֹּאמֶר לִי יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַי לִבֶּךָ שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃

And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

5 קְנֵה חָכְמָה קְנֵה בִינָה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח וְאַל־תֵּט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

7 רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃

Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

9 תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

10 שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

11 בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה הֹרֵתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

12 בְּֽלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם־תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 הַחֲזֵק בַּמּוּסָר אַל־תֶּרֶף נִצְּרֶהָ כִּי־הִיא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

14 בְּאֹרַח רְשָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹא וְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁר בְּדֶרֶךְ רָעִֽים׃

Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

15 פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃

Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

16 כִּי לֹא יִֽשְׁנוּ אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם אִם־לֹא יכשולו יַכְשִֽׁילוּ׃

For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17 כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

18 וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃

But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

19 דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃

The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

20 בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

23 מִֽכָּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּֽי־מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

24 הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

25 עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.