מִשְׁלֵי 4

1 שִׁמְעוּ בָנִים מוּסַר אָב וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לָדַעַת בִּינָֽה׃

Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

2 כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּֽוֹרָתִי אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

3 כִּי־בֵן הָיִיתִי לְאָבִי רַךְ וְיָחִיד לִפְנֵי אִמִּֽי׃

For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.

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

And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

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

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶהָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶךָּ אֱהָבֶהָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

7 רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃

The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

8 סַלְסְלֶהָ וּֽתְרוֹמְמֶךָּ תְּכַבֵּדְךָ כִּי תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

9 תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

10 שְׁמַע בְּנִי וְקַח אֲמָרָי וְיִרְבּוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּֽים׃

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.

11 בְּדֶרֶךְ חָכְמָה הֹרֵתִיךָ הִדְרַכְתִּיךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

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

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

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

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.

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

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

15 פְּרָעֵהוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בּוֹ שְׂטֵה מֵעָלָיו וַעֲבֽוֹר׃

Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

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

For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.

17 כִּי לָחֲמוּ לֶחֶם רֶשַׁע וְיֵין חֲמָסִים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

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

And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

19 דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃

The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

20 בְּנִי לִדְבָרַי הַקְשִׁיבָה לַאֲמָרַי הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

21 אַל־יַלִּיזוּ מֵעֵינֶיךָ שָׁמְרֵם בְּתוֹךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּֽא׃

For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

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

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.

24 הָסֵר מִמְּךָ עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה וּלְזוּת שְׂפָתַיִם הַרְחֵק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

25 עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ וְעַפְעַפֶּיךָ יַיְשִׁרוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 פַּלֵּס מַעְגַּל רַגְלֶךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶיךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול הָסֵר רַגְלְךָ מֵרָֽע׃

Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!