מִשְׁלֵי 4
| שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃ | 1 |
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
| כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּֽוֹרָתִי אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃ | 2 |
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
| כִּי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃ | 3 |
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
| וַיֹּרֵנִי וַיֹּאמֶר לִי יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַי לִבֶּךָ שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתַי וֽ͏ֶחְיֵֽה׃ | 4 |
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
| קְנֵה חָכְמָה קְנֵה בִינָה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח וְאַל־תֵּט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃ | 5 |
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
| אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃ | 6 |
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
| רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃ | 7 |
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
| סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃ | 8 |
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.
| תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃ | 9 |
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
| שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃ | 10 |
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
| בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה הֹרֵתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃ | 11 |
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
| בְּֽלֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַר צַעֲדֶךָ וְאִם־תָּרוּץ לֹא תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃ | 12 |
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
| הַחֲזֵק בַּמּוּסָר אַל־תֶּרֶף נִצְּרֶהָ כִּי־הִיא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃ | 13 |
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
| בְּאֹרַח רְשָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹא וְאַל־תְּאַשֵּׁר בְּדֶרֶךְ רָעִֽים׃ | 14 |
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
| פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃ | 15 |
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
| כִּי לֹא יִֽשְׁנוּ אִם־לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָה שְׁנָתָם אִם־לֹא יכשולו יַכְשִֽׁילוּ׃ | 16 |
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
| כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃ | 17 |
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
| וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד־נְכוֹן הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 18 |
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
| דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ | 19 |
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
| בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ | 20 |
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
| אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ | 21 |
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the centre of your heart.
| כִּֽי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃ | 22 |
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
| מִֽכָּל־מִשְׁמָר נְצֹר לִבֶּךָ כִּֽי־מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת חַיִּֽים׃ | 23 |
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
| הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃ | 24 |
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
| עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 25 |
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
| פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃ | 26 |
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
| אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃ | 27 |
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
