מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃

Hear, all of you children, 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 all of you not my law.

3 כִּי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

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

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your 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 it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.

7 רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honour, when you do embrace her.

9 תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

10 שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

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

11 בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה הֹרֵתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

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

When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall 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 your life.

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

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go 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 away.

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

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; 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 just is as the shining light, that shines 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 your ear unto my sayings.

21 אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your 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 your 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 you a perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.

25 עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

26 פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.